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Genoa Cricket and Football Club () is an Italian professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club based in
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
,
Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
. The team competes in the
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
, the top division of the Italian football league system. Established in
1893 Events January * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * January 6 – The Washington National Cathedral is chartered by Congress; th ...
, Genoa is Italy's oldest existing football team. The club has won the Italian Championship nine times, with their first being Italy's inaugural national championship in
1898 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queen ...
, and their most recent coming after the 1923–24 season. They have also won one
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
title. Overall, Genoa are the fourth most successful Italian club in terms of championships won. ''Il Grifone'' have played their home games at the
Stadio Luigi Ferraris The Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the neighbourhood where it is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. The home of Genoa C.F.C. and U.C. Sampdoria football clubs, it opened in 1911 and is t ...
since 1911, sharing with local rivals
Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria. Sampdoria was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the ...
. The fixture between the two teams, known as the
Derby della Lanterna The , Italian for the "Derby of the Lighthouse", is Genoa's local derby, played by Genoa and Sampdoria. It takes place at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, which both clubs share. Background The derby's name is derived from the Torre della Lanterna, ...
, was first played in 1946. In 2011, Genoa was included in the "International Bureau of Cultural Capitals" (a sort of historical sporting heritage of humanity, in line with that of
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
) at the request of President Xavier Tudela. The club was admitted to the " Club of Pioneers", an association comprising the world's oldest football clubs, in 2013; other members include
Sheffield F.C. Sheffield Football Club is an English association football, football club, currently based in Dronfield, Derbyshire. They compete in the , on the eighth level of the English football league system, English football pyramid. Founded in October ...
and
Recreativo de Huelva Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, S.A.D. () is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football club based in Huelva, Andalucia, Spain. Founded on 23 December 1889, they are the oldest football club in Spain, and currently play in , holding home ...
.


History

The club was founded on 7 September 1893 as Genoa Cricket & Athletic Club. In its earliest years, it principally competed in
athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...
and
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
.
Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
was only a secondary concern. Since the club was set up to represent England abroad, the original shirts worn by the organisation were white, the same colour as the
England national team Team England usually refers to the name under which athletes representing Commonwealth Games England compete. England team or Team England may refer to: *Commonwealth Games England *England national football team *England cricket team *England nat ...
shirt. At first Italians were not permitted to join as it was a British sporting club abroad. Genoa's activities took place in the north-west of the city in the Campasso area, at the ''Piazza d'Armi''. The men who initially handled the management of the club were;
On 10 April 1897, the footballing section of the club, already in existence since 1893, became predominant thanks to
James Richardson Spensley James Richardson Spensley (17 May 1867 – 10 November 1915) was an English medical doctor, footballer, manager, Scout leader and medic from Stoke Newington, London. He is considered to be one of the "Fathers of Italian football", due to his a ...
. It was among the oldest in
Italian football Football ( ) is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italy national football team have won the FIFA World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), trailing only Brazil (with five), runners-up in two finals both against Brazil, (1970, 1994) and ...
at the time, only four other clubs (all in
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
.) had been founded. Italians were allowed to join and found a new ground in the form of ''Ponte Carrega''. The first friendly match took place at home, against a mixed team of Internazionale Torino and
F.B.C. Torinese Foot-Ball Club Torinese was an Italian football club from Turin that was founded in 1894. It merged with Internazionale Torino in 1900, keeping its name. The club competed in the first Italian Football Championship, and stayed in the competition ...
; Genoa lost 1–0. Not long after, Genoa recorded its first victory away against UPS Alessandria winning 2–0. Friendly games also took place against various British sailors such as those from .


Championship dominance

Football in Italy stepped up a level with the creation of the
Italian Football Federation The Italian Football Federation (, ; FIGC ), known colloquially as (), is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence. It manages a ...
and the
Italian Football Championship Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
. Genoa competed in the first Italian Championship in
1898 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queen ...
at
Velodrome Humbert I Velodrome Humbert I, commonly known in Italian as ''Velodromo Umberto I'', was an early cycling velodrome and, from 1898, a football ground in Turin. The velodrome was named in honour of then King Humbert I of Savoy. During its time in use it was ...
in Turin. They defeated Ginnastica Torino 2–1 in their first official game on 8 May, before winning the first championship later that day by beating Internazionale Torino 3–1 after
extra-time Overtime (OT) or extra time (ET) is an additional period of play to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is required t ...
. Genoa returned for the following season, this time with a few changes; the name of the club was altered to Genoa Cricket & Football Club, dropping the ''Athletic'' from its name. A change in shirt colour was also in order, as they changed to white and blue vertical stripes; known in Italy as ''biancoblù''. Genoa won their second title in a one-day tournament which took place on 16 April 1899, by beating Internazionale Torino 3–1 for the second time. On their way to winning their third consecutive title in
1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...
they also beat local rivals Sampierdarenese 7–0; a winning margin which would not be bettered by any team in the league until 1910. The final was secured with a 3–1 win over
F.B.C. Torinese Foot-Ball Club Torinese was an Italian football club from Turin that was founded in 1894. It merged with Internazionale Torino in 1900, keeping its name. The club competed in the first Italian Football Championship, and stayed in the competition ...
. The club strip was changed again in
1901 December 13 of this year is the beginning of signed 32-bit Unix time, and is scheduled to end in January 19, 2038. Summary Political and military 1901 started with the unification of multiple British colonies in Australia on January ...
, Genoa adopted its famous red-navy halves and therefore became known as the ''rossoblù''; these are the colours used even to this day as with many other Italian clubs, such as Cagliari, Bologna, Crotone, Cosenza and an endless list of minor clubs. After a season of finishing runners-up to Milan Cricket and Football Club, things were back on track in
1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's ...
with their fourth title. Juventus emerged as serious contenders to Genoa's throne from
1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...
onwards, when for two seasons in a row Genoa beat the ''Old Lady'' in the national final. Notably Genoa became the first Italian football team to play an international match, when they visited France on 27 April 1903 to play FVC Nice, winning the fixture 3–0. As well as winning the Italian championship in
1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...
, the year was also notable for Genoa reserves winning the first ever II Categoria league season; a proto-
Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
under the top level. From
1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...
onwards when they were runners-up, Genoa lost their foothold on the Italian championship; other clubs such as Juventus, Milan and
Pro Vercelli Football Club Pro Vercelli 1892, commonly referred to as Pro Vercelli, is an Football in Italy, Italian football club based in Vercelli, Piedmont. The club is mostly renowned as one of the most successful teams in the early football era of Ital ...
stepped up. The fall in part during this period can be traced back to
1908 This is the longest year in either the Julian or Gregorian calendars, having a duration of 31622401.38 seconds of Terrestrial Time (or ephemeris time), measured according to the definition of mean solar time. Events January * January ...
when
FIGC The Italian Football Federation (, ; FIGC ), known colloquially as (), is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence. It manages and coordinates the Italian football l ...
agreed to Federal Gymnastics protests forbidding the use of foreign players. Since Genoa's birth they had always had a strong English contingent. They disagreed, as did several other prominent clubs such as Milan,
Torino Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
and Firenze; as thus they withdrew from official FIGC competitions that year. The following season the federation reversed the decision and Genoa was rebuilt with players such as Luigi Ferraris and some from
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, such as Daniel Hug who came from
FC Basel Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss professional Association football, football club based in Basel, in the Basel-Stadt, Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been List of Swiss footba ...
. The rebuilding of the squad also saw the creation of a new ground in the
Marassi The Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the neighbourhood where it is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. The home of Genoa C.F.C. and U.C. Sampdoria football clubs, it opened in 1911 and is t ...
area of Genoa, when built it had a capacity of 25,000 and was comparable to British stadiums of the time; it was officially opened on 22 January 1911.


Garbutt revival

With the introduction of the
Italy national football team The Italy national football team () has represented Italy in men's international Association football, football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for fo ...
, Genoa played an important part, with the likes of
Renzo De Vecchi Renzo De Vecchi (; 3 February 1894 – 14 May 1967) was an Italian association football, football player and coach who played as a defender (association football), defender. He competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics with Italy national football tea ...
; who was ''azzurri'' captain for some time,
Edoardo Mariani Edoardo Mariani (; 5 March 1893 – 7 January 1956) was an Italian footballer who played as a left winger. International career Mariani made four appearances for Italy, all of which came in 1912. He became the youngest forward to start a m ...
and
Enrico Sardi Enrico Sardi (; 1 April 1891 – 4 July 1969) was an Italian association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. He competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics and the 1920 Summer Olympics with Italy national ...
earning call-ups. Englishman William Garbutt was brought in as head coach to help revive the club; Garbutt was the first professional manager in Italy and was renowned for being highly charismatic, and also for constantly smoking his
tobacco pipe A tobacco pipe, often called simply a pipe, is a device specifically made to smoke tobacco. It comprises a chamber (the bowl (smoking), bowl) for the tobacco from which a thin hollow stem (shank) emerges, ending in a mouthpiece. Pipes can range ...
. He was dubbed "Mister" by the players; since then Italians have referred to coaches in general by the term. Finally by 1914–15, Genoa had restored themselves as the top club from
Northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...
, winning the final round of the Northern section. However, this particular year, the national final could not be played because of the outbreak of World War I, the finals of the Southern Italian section could not be decided and thus Genoa did not have a team to play. Genoa would be awarded the title in 1919 after the end of the war, it would be their first for eleven seasons. The war took a harsh toll on Genoa as players Luigi Ferraris, Adolfo Gnecco, Carlo Marassi, Alberto Sussone and
Claudio Casanova Claudio Maurizio Casanova (; 21 October 1895 – 20 April 1916) was an Italian professional footballer who played as a defender. International career Casanova made his only appearance for the Italy national football team on 17 May 1914 in a gam ...
all died while on military duty in Italy; while footballing founder
James Richardson Spensley James Richardson Spensley (17 May 1867 – 10 November 1915) was an English medical doctor, footballer, manager, Scout leader and medic from Stoke Newington, London. He is considered to be one of the "Fathers of Italian football", due to his a ...
was killed in Germany. In the early part of the 1920s, Genoa remained strong contenders in the Northern section. Garbutt led Genoa to championship success in 1922–23; beating
Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
6–1 in the final, over the course of two legs. The following season, Genoa made their way past
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
in the Northern finals, but not without controversy; after riots in the second leg during the game in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, the game was called off and FIGC awarded Genoa a 2–0 victory. In the national final that season, Genoa beat Savoia 4–1 over the course of two legs; this would be their ninth and to date final Italian championship. The squad during these two championship victories included;
Giovanni De Prà Giovanni Luigi Cecilio De Prà (; 28 June 1900 – 15 June 1979) was an Italian football goalkeeper. Career D Prà spent his entire club career with his hometown side Genoa C.F.C., playing more than 300 games over almost 15 years. D Prà compe ...
,
Ottavio Barbieri Ottavio Barbieri (; 30 April 1899 – 28 December 1949) was an football in Italy, Italian association football midfielder and manager. He won campionato Alta Italia 1944 (Champion of Italy de facto). Club career Originally from Genoa, as a play ...
,
Luigi Burlando Luigi Burlando (; 23 January 1899 – 12 December 1967) was an Italian football midfielder and manager. He also played water polo. Club career Originally from Genoa, he played all of his career in his hometown, starting off with Doria, before s ...
and
Renzo De Vecchi Renzo De Vecchi (; 3 February 1894 – 14 May 1967) was an Italian association football, football player and coach who played as a defender (association football), defender. He competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics with Italy national football tea ...
. With Genoa's championship victory in 1923–24 came the introduction of the ''scudetto'' patch; which means following the season within which a club wins an Italian league championship, they are allowed to wear a
shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...
shaped patch on their shirt which features the colours of the
Italian flag The flag of Italy (, ), often referred to as The Tricolour (, ), is a flag featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white and red, with the green at the hoist side, as defined by Article 12 of the Constitution of the Italian Repub ...
. For the rest of the 1920s, the club's highest finish was in second place: the 1927–28 season when Genoa finished runners-up to Torino, with striker Felice Levratto scoring 20 goals in 27 games.


Genova 1893 period

Due to the strongly British connotations attached to the name, Genoa were forced to change it by the fascist government to Genova 1893 Circolo del Calcio in 1928. The club competed in a proto-European Cup in the form of the
Mitropa Cup The Mitropa Cup, officially called Coupe de l'Europe Centrale, Mitteleuropäischer Pokal or Central European Cup, was one of the first international major European association football, football cups for club sides. It was conducted among the suc ...
, where they went out in the quarter-finals after losing heavily to
Rapid Vienna Sportklub Rapid (), commonly known as Rapid Wien or Rapid Vienna in English language, English, is an Football in Austria, Austrian professional football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid has won the most Austrian cham ...
. They followed this with a runners-up position back at home in the league, they finished behind
Ambrosiana The Biblioteca Ambrosiana is a historic library in Milan, Italy, also housing the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Ambrosian art gallery. Named after Ambrose, the patron saint of Milan, it was founded in 1609 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, whose agen ...
in the 1929–30 season; this would be their last top level championship runners-up spot to date. The club's league form became highly erratic during the early 1930s, with varying league positions; it was during the 1933–34 season that Genova suffered their first ever relegation to
Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
, the second league of Italian football. Thankfully for the club, they were able to bounce back under the management of Vittorio Faroppa, winning promotion by finishing top of their group ahead of
Novara Novara (; Novarese Lombard, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous ...
. In 1936, the ambitious Juan Culiolo took over as chairman of the club; in 1936–37 they achieved a 6th-place finish and also won the
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
by beating
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
1–0 with a goal from Mario Torti. During the following season Genova finished in third place, this was a particularly tight season with winners
Ambrosiana-Inter Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
finishing only three points ahead of the club. That summer
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
competed in the
1938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the 3rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football championship for senior men's national teams. It was held in France from 4 to 19 June 1938. Italy national ...
and won, three Genova players formed part of the triumphant squad in the form of
Sergio Bertoni Sergio Bertoni (; 23 September 1915 – 15 February 1995) was an Italian association football manager and player, who played as a striker. With the Italy national team, he won the 1936 Summer Olympics football tournament and the 1938 FIFA Wor ...
,
Mario Genta Mario Genta (; 1 March 1912 – 9 January 1993) was an Italian footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Born in Turin, Genta played club football in the 1930s for Italian sides Juventus, Prato, and Genoa. He played 223 matches in Serie ...
and Mario Perazzolo. The club finished the decade on a high, maintaining a top five foothold in the top level of the Italian football league system. World War II affected dramatically the entire Italian football movement, but Genova did not recover as well as other clubs. In 1945, the club chose to revert their name to Genoa Cricket and Foot-Ball Club, the one which they had used in the very early days of the Italian championship. In the years just after the war, the club were still popular with the fans, with people previously associated with the club such as
Ottavio Barbieri Ottavio Barbieri (; 30 April 1899 – 28 December 1949) was an football in Italy, Italian association football midfielder and manager. He won campionato Alta Italia 1944 (Champion of Italy de facto). Club career Originally from Genoa, as a play ...
and William Garbutt returning for managerial spells. Genoa also had a new rival in the form of Sampdoria, who were founded by a merger of Associazione Calcio Andrea Doria and
Sampierdarenese Associazione Calcio Sampierdarenese, commonly known as Sampierdarenese, was an Italian professional football club from Genoa, Italy. The club was named after Sampierdarena, a populous area of Genoa and an autonomous town until 1926. Founded in 1 ...
in 1946 and would groundshare at
Stadio Luigi Ferraris The Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the neighbourhood where it is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. The home of Genoa C.F.C. and U.C. Sampdoria football clubs, it opened in 1911 and is t ...
.


Post-war period

After the Second World War the ability of Genoa to finish in the upper ranks of
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
declined in a significant manner; throughout the rest of the 1940s the club were middle-table finishers. The 1948–49 season saw three highly significant results, Genoa beat
Inter Inter may refer to: Association football clubs * Inter Milan, an Italian club * SC Internacional, a Brazilian club * Inter Miami CF, an American club * Inter Playa del Carmen, a Mexican club * FC Inter Sibiu, a Romanian club * FC Inter Turku, ...
4–1, the famous ''
Grande Torino The was the historic Italian football team of Torino Football Club in the 1940s, five-time champions of Italy, whose players were the backbone of the Italy national team and died on 4 May 1949 in the plane crash known as the Superga air di ...
'' side 3–0 and
Padova Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of ...
7–1. The 1950s started in poor fashion for the club, they had bought Argentine
Mario Boyé Mario Emilio Heriberto Boyé Auterio (30 July 1922 – 21 July 1992) was an Argentine footballer. A powerful winger or striker, he played for Boca Juniors, Racing Club de Avellaneda and Huracán in Argentina, Genoa in Italy and Millonarios in C ...
from
Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
but he stayed only one season and the club were relegated after finishing bottom of the table, but after two seasons they achieved their return after winning Serie B, ahead of
Legnano Legnano (; or ''Lignàn'') is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan, province of Milan, about from central Milan. With 60,259, it is the thirteenth-most populous township in Lombardy. Legnano is located in the ...
. Ragnar Nikolay Larsen was a notable player for the club during this period and they sustained mid-table finishes for the rest of the decade. Despite suffering a relegation in 1959–60 and then a promotion back up to Serie A in 1961–62, Genoa had a respectable amount of cup success in the first half of the 1960s. The club won the
Coppa delle Alpi ''Coppa delle Alpi'' (translated as Cup of the Alps) was an official football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league as it started in 1960 and then they were aided by the Swiss League from 1962, for the reason that the majorit ...
in 1962; it was the first time the competition had been competed between club teams instead of international ones, the final was played at home while Genoa beat French club
Grenoble Foot 38 Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble or GF38, is a Football in France, French association football club based in Grenoble. The club plays its home matches at the Stade des Alpes, a sports complex based in the heart of the c ...
by 1–0 with a goal from Nizza. Genoa won the same competition again two years later, the final was held at the
Wankdorf Stadium Wankdorf Stadium (, ) was a football stadium in Bern, Switzerland, and the home of Swiss club BSC Young Boys. Built in 1925, it hosted the finals of the 1954 FIFA World Cup, the 1960–61 European Cup, and the 1988–89 European Cup Winners' C ...
in
Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
, Switzerland; Genoa defeated
Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...
2–0, with both goals from
Giampaolo Piaceri Giampaolo or Gianpaolo is an Italian male given name or surname. Its English translation is " John Paul". It is often short for "Giovanni Paolo". Notable people with the name include: Given name * Gianpaolo Ambrosi, Italian luger * Gianpaolo Bel ...
to take the trophy. The celebrations for the club did not last long however, as the year following their last cup success they were relegated down to Serie B again. This time their stay in the second tier of the
Italian football league system The Italian football league system, also known as the Italian football pyramid, refers to the hierarchically interconnected league system for association football in Italy. It consists of nine national and regional tournaments, the first three b ...
would be far longer than previous relegations, the club was unstable as it changed manager each season. Genoa even experienced their first relegation to
Serie C The Serie C (), officially known as Serie C NOW for sponsorship purposes, is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing ...
in 1970, financially the club fell into difficulties and had several ownership changes.


Mixed times

Throughout the 1970s, Genoa would mostly play in the second tier. Under the management of
Arturo Silvestri Arturo Silvestri (; 14 June 1921 – 14 October 2002) was an Italian professional footballer and football manager, who played as a right-back. Honours Player AC Milan * Serie A: 1950–51, 1954–55 * Latin Cup: 1951 Manager Cagliari * ...
the club made its way back to Serie A for the 1973–74 season, but they were relegated straight back down. For the return of ''Il Grifone'' to Serie A a couple of seasons later, the squad featured the likes of
Roberto Rosato Roberto Rosato (; 18 August 1943 – 20 June 2010) was an Italian footballer, who played as a defender. A strong, hard-tackling, and reliable centre-back, he is regarded as one of Italy's greatest defenders. Rosato played for four different I ...
,
Bruno Conti Bruno Conti (; born 13 March 1955) is an Italian football manager and former player. He is currently head of AS Roma's youth sector. Throughout his playing career, Conti was usually deployed as a winger, and also previously played for Roma, w ...
and a young
Roberto Pruzzo Roberto Pruzzo (; born 1 April 1955) is an Italian former football player and coach who played as a forward. He represented Italy at UEFA Euro 1980. Club career Born at Crocefieschi, in the province of Genova, Pruzzo made his debut in profe ...
. This time they stuck it out in the top division for two seasons before succumbing to relegation in 1977–78; the relegation was particularly cruel as the side above them
Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
survived on goal-difference of just a single goal, the two teams had played each other on the final day of the season ending in a 0–0 draw. The relegation was bad for the club in more ways than one, they lost some of their top players who could have offered them a swift return; such as Roberto Pruzzo's move to
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
where he would go on to have great success. After a couple of middle-table finishes in Serie B, Genoa earned promotion during the 1980–81 season under manager
Luigi Simoni Luigi "Gigi" Simoni (22 January 1939 – 22 May 2020) was an Italian football official, player and manager. A skilled tactician, as a coach Simoni enjoyed notable success in earning promotion from Serie B to Serie A with the teams he managed, a f ...
, the club finished as runners-up behind only
AC Milan (), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...
who had been relegated the previous season for their part in the Totonero betting scandal. Still with Simoni at the helm as manager, Genoa were able to survive in Serie A for their returning season, finishing just one point ahead of the relegated AC Milan. In a dramatic last day of the season, Genoa were trailing 2–1 to
Napoli Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
with five minutes left, until on the 85th minute Mario Faccenda scored the goal that secured the point needed by Genoa, starting an owing friendship between the two club's fans. A couple of seasons later in 1983–84, Genoa would not be so lucky, despite beating champions
Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
on the final day of the season, the club were relegated even though they finished the season with the same number of points as surviving
Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
; this was because Lazio had recorded better results in matches against Genoa.


European experience

The club was purchased by Calabrese entrepreneur
Aldo Spinelli Aldo Spinelli (January 4, 1940, Palmi, Italy) is an Italian entrepreneur and sports executive. Aldo Spinelli was born in 1940 in Palmi, Calabria, Italy. Biography His father Roberto died on February 19, 1958, at the age of 42, in the shipwre ...
in 1985 and despite no longer having Simoni as manager, Genoa were finishing in the top half of Serie B. After a slip in form during 1987–88 (failing to be promoted by a mere point in 1986–87, then having to struggle not to be retroceded the following season, being spared that fate again by a mere point), Genoa refocused their energy and were able to achieve promotion back into Serie A in 1988–89, finishing as champions ahead of
Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...
. Genoa, with an experienced trainer as
Osvaldo Bagnoli Osvaldo Bagnoli (born 3 July 1935) is an Italian former association football, football coach and player who played as a midfielder. Playing career Born in the Bovisa district of Milan, Bagnoli began his professional career as a midfielder with ...
who knew how to get the best out of underdog teams (he managed to win a championship at the helm of
Hellas Verona Hellas Verona Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Hellas Verona (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Verona, Veneto, that currently plays in Serie A. The team won ...
in the eighties) and with a team sporting the talents of Carlos Aguilera and
Tomáš Skuhravý Tomáš Skuhravý (born 7 September 1965) is a Czech former footballer who played as a striker. He scored five goals for Czechoslovakia in 1990 FIFA World Cup at international level. Club career On 28 September 1983, Skuhravý debuted for Spart ...
among others achieved highs during the 1990–91 season where they finished fourth, remaining undefeated at home for the entire campaign, winning games against all the big sides including Juventus,
Inter Inter may refer to: Association football clubs * Inter Milan, an Italian club * SC Internacional, a Brazilian club * Inter Miami CF, an American club * Inter Playa del Carmen, a Mexican club * FC Inter Sibiu, a Romanian club * FC Inter Turku, ...
, Milan,
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
, Lazio, Fiorentina, Napoli, as well as their local rivals
Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria. Sampdoria was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the ...
who won the title that season. Subsequently, the club gained entry to the
UEFA Cup The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
in the 1991–92 season. Genoa had a good run, making it to the semi-finals before being knocked out by
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
, that season's winners of the competition; notably Genoa did the double over
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
in the quarter-finals, becoming the first Italian side to beat the ''Reds'' at
Anfield Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...
. Unfortunately for Genoa, this success was soon followed by a 'Dark Age' following the departure of Osvaldo Bagnoli (who chose to move away from Genoa to spend more time with his daughter, whose health was rapidly declining) and the failure of the management to replace key players as they grew old or were ceded to other teams. Noted Genoa players during this period included
Gianluca Signorini Gianluca Signorini (17 March 1960 – 6 November 2002) was an Italian footballer, who played as a defender. He made more than 200 appearances for Genoa C.F.C. Career Born in Pisa, Signorini started his career playing for his home team, Pisa S.C ...
, Carlos Aguilera, Stefano Eranio, Roberto Onorati and
John van 't Schip Johannes Nicolaas "John" van 't Schip (; born 30 December 1963) is a Dutch football manager and former player who played as a winger. He is the current manager of Armenia. Born in Canada, he played for the Netherlands national team for nine ...
.
Chairman Spinelli had a very different management approach from that of most businessmen turned football club owners. While his colleagues saw football as a marketing and
public relation Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
investment and were quite ready to siphon funds out of their main business to keep their teams afloat and replenish their player roster Spinelli saw Genoa as another business whose main aim was that of generating revenue for its owner (namely, himself) and so was more than happy to sell esteemed players for hefty revenues of which just a minimal fraction was then re-invested in the team, often for the acquisition of lesser-valued replacements or virtual unknowns. Thus he proved all-too-eager to sell Uruguayan striker Carlos Aguilera and to replace him with the markedly inferior
Kazuyoshi Miura , nicknamed King Kazu, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Japan Football League club Atletico Suzuka, on loan from J1 League club Yokohama FC. He is the world's second oldest active player to play and oldest to s ...
from Japanese side Yomiuri Verdy (a deal that especially pleased him since the Japanese sponsors were actually paying him to let Miura play in Serie A). The same season as their UEFA Cup run, they finished just one place above the relegation zone; in the seasons following Genoa remained in the lower half of the table. During the 1994–95 season, Genoa were narrowly relegated; they finished level on points with
Padova Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of ...
after the normal season period. This meant a relegation play-out was to be played between the two in
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
. The game was tied 1–1 at full-time and went to a
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
. Genoa eventually lost the shoot-out 5–4. While back down in Serie B, the club had another taste of international cup success when they became the final winners of the
Anglo-Italian Cup The Anglo-Italian Cup (, also known as the Anglo-Italian Inter-League Clubs Competition and from 1976 to 1986 as the Alitalia Challenge Cup, Talbot Challenge Cup or Gigi Peronace Memorial) was a European football competition. The competition was ...
by beating
Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in , the third tier of the English football league system. Vale are named after the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal ...
5–2 with
Gennaro Ruotolo Gennaro Ruotolo (, ; born 20 March 1967) is an Italian former Association football, footballer and manager who played as a midfielder. Career Playing career Ruotolo started his career with Sorrento Calcio, Sorrento in 1984, but is best known fo ...
scoring a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
. Chairman Spinelli sold Genoa in 1997, moving onto other clubs (
Alessandria Alessandria (; ) is a city and commune in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. It is also the largest municipality of the region. The city is sited on the alluvial plain between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, ...
and, then
Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...
). The late 1990s and early 2000s would be the most trying time in the history of the club, with constant managerial changes, a poor financial situation and little hope of gaining promotion, outside of a decent 6th-place finish in 1999–00. From 1997 until 2003, Genoa had a total of three different owners and four different chairmen, before the club was passed on to the toys and games
tycoon A business magnate, also known as an industrialist or tycoon, is a person who is a powerful entrepreneur and investor who controls, through personal enterprise ownership or a dominant shareholding position, a firm or industry whose goods or ser ...
from
Irpinia Irpinia ( Modern Latin ''Hirpinia'') is a geographical and cultural region of Southern Italy. It was the inland territory of the ancient '' Hirpini'' tribe, and its extent matches approximately today's province of Avellino. Geography The territ ...
,
Enrico Preziosi Enrico Preziosi is an Italian entrepreneur. He runs a number of businesses and is most famous for having been the chairman () of football club Genoa C.F.C., Genoa. Toys Preziosi is the chairman () of the board of directors of Giochi Preziosi (co ...
, already chairman of Como, a football club he previously owned.


Recent times

Preziosi took over in 2003, when Genoa should have been relegated to C1 series after a dismal season, but was instead "saved" along with Catania and Salernitana by the football federation's controversial decision to extend
Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
to 24 teams. Things started to look up for Genoa; they won Serie B in 2004–05. However, allegations were raised that the club had fixed a match on the last day of the season between themselves and
Venezia Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
. The 3–2 victory in the match saw Genoa win the league, with a draw having been good enough to maintain its position in the end. The Disciplinary Committee of
FIGC The Italian Football Federation (, ; FIGC ), known colloquially as (), is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence. It manages and coordinates the Italian football l ...
saw fit to instead place Genoa bottom of the league and relegate them down to
Serie C1 Serie C1 was the third highest football league in Italy. It consisted of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions. History Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Se ...
with a three-point deduction on 27 July 2005. For their season in Serie C1 for 2005–06, Genoa were hit with a six-point penalty from the previous season. After leading for much of the season, they eventually finished as runners-up and were entered into the play-offs, beating
Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...
2–1 on aggregate to achieve promotion back into Serie B. During the summer break
Gian Piero Gasperini Gian Piero Gasperini (born 26 January 1958) is an Italian professional football manager and former professional footballer who is currently the head coach of Serie A club Roma. After starting his managerial career at Crotone, he had spells in ch ...
was brought in as the new manager, he helped the club to gain promotion during the 2006–07 season, it was ensured on the last day of the season where they drew a 0–0 with
Napoli Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
, both clubs were happily promoted back into
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
. The 2007–08 season, the first Serie A championship played by Genoa in 12 years, saw it finishing in a respectable tenth place, right after the "big ones" of Italian football. A careful summer market session saw chairman, Preziosi strengthening the core of the team while parting from some players on favourable economical terms (for example selling striker
Marco Borriello Marco Borriello (; born 18 June 1982) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. Throughout his career, Borriello played for several Italian clubs, includin ...
to
AC Milan (), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...
for a hefty sum). Genoa's aims for the 2008–09 season were set on a UEFA Cup spot. This was achieved after a strong season which saw the team finish fifth in Serie A, besting traditional powerhouses like
Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
,
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
, and Milan, and winning both Genoa derbies against
Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria. Sampdoria was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the ...
, with
Diego Milito Diego Alberto Milito (born 12 June 1979) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was nicknamed ''El Principe'' ("The Prince" in Spanish) because of his physical resemblance with former Uruguayan footballer En ...
finishing among the top scorers of the championship. Genoa subsequently lost Milito and midfielder
Thiago Motta Thiago Motta (; ; born 28 August 1982) is a professional Association football, football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of club Juventus FC, Juventus. A Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder, Mott ...
to
Internazionale Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Since 1 ...
, but were able to bring in striker Hernán Crespo. Things however did not go as planned, with the injury-plagued team eliminated in the early stages of the Europa League and Coppa Italia and falling to a ninth-place finish in Serie A in 2009–10 Serie A, 2010. In the 2010–11 Serie A, 2010–11 season, Genoa, whose ranks had been revolutionised once again save for some long-serving players, struggled along in the mid-positions of the league; a slew of questionable results early in the season led chairman Preziosi to fire trainer
Gian Piero Gasperini Gian Piero Gasperini (born 26 January 1958) is an Italian professional football manager and former professional footballer who is currently the head coach of Serie A club Roma. After starting his managerial career at Crotone, he had spells in ch ...
, who had led the team since the 2007–08 season, and to select Davide Ballardini as his successor. The newcomers, despite not securing memorable successes, kept the team steadily afloat in the "left part" of the ranking, managing to win two consecutive derby matches against rivals Sampdoria in December and May. The 2011–12 Serie A, 2011–12 and 2012–13 Serie A, 2012–13 seasons saw Genoa place in 17th both times, one spot away from relegation to Serie B. In the 2014–15 Serie A, 2014–15 season, Genoa, in sixth place and set to qualify for the UEFA Europa League qualifying round, were denied a UEFA license because they filed paperwork late and because the
Stadio Luigi Ferraris The Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the neighbourhood where it is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. The home of Genoa C.F.C. and U.C. Sampdoria football clubs, it opened in 1911 and is t ...
was not currently up to standard for UEFA competition. The spot was passed on to 7th placed
Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria. Sampdoria was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the ...
. This damaged Genoa's momentum, and Genoa coasted to an eleventh-place finish in the 2015–16 Serie A, 2015–16 season. In 2016–17 Serie A, 2016–17, Genoa avoided relegation in 16th-place, and once again finished mid-table in the 2017–18 Serie A, 2017–18 season. In the 2018–19 Serie A, 2018–19 season, Genoa mathematically avoided relegation from Serie A. They were tied on 38 points with Empoli F.C., Empoli, but Empoli went down due to Genoa's superior head-to-head record. In the 2021–22 Serie A, 2021–22 season, Genoa finished 19th in the league table to be relegated after fifteen years in top division. In the 2022–23 Serie B, 2022–23 season, the club finished second in Serie B, to promote back to Serie A after one season. In the 2023–24 season, Genoa Football Club maintains its position in Serie A and is not facing relegation. The club continues to compete in Italy's top football league, demonstrating resilience and determination to stay at the highest level of Italian football.


Players


Current squad


Primavera


Out on loan


Retired numbers

* 6 –
Gianluca Signorini Gianluca Signorini (17 March 1960 – 6 November 2002) was an Italian footballer, who played as a defender. He made more than 200 appearances for Genoa C.F.C. Career Born in Pisa, Signorini started his career playing for his home team, Pisa S.C ...
, Libero (football), sweeper, 1988–95The retirement could not be observed during the 2005–06 season because Serie C1 sides must use traditional 1 to 11 numbers. * 7 – Marco Rossi (footballer, born 1978), Marco Rossi, midfielder, 2003–04, 2005–13 * 12 – The fans of ''Gradinata Nord'', "12th man (football), the twelfth man"


Notable players


Chairmen history

Below is the chairmen ( or ) history of Genoa, from when the club was first founded playing cricket and athletics, until the present day.


Coaching staff


Managerial history

Genoa have had many managers and trainers, some seasons they have had co-managers running the team, here is a chronological list of them from 1896 when they became a football club, onwards.


Colours, badge and nicknames

As Genoa was a British-run club, the first ever colours were those of the England national football team. Not long into the club's footballing history, the kit was changed to white and blue stripes in 1899; the blue was chosen to represent the sea as Genoa is a port city. In 1901 the club finally settled for their most famous red and blue halves shirt, this gained them the nickname of ''rossoblù''. One of the nicknames of Genoa is ''Il Grifone ''which means "the griffin"; this is derived from the coat of arms belonging to the city of Genoa. The coat of arms features two golden griffins, either side of the Saint George's Cross. As well as being present on both the flag and coat of arms of the city of Genoa, the cross is evocative of the club's English founders. St. George was also the patron saint of the former Republic of Genoa. The actual club badge of ''Genoa Cricket and Football Club'' is heavily derived from the city coat of arms, but also incorporated the club's red and blue colours.


Supporters and rivalries

Genoa CFC has the bulk of its fans in
Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
, however they are also popular in Piedmont and the Aosta Valley. The seafaring traditions of the Genoese and the presence of Genoese communities in distant countries did much to spread the appeal of Genoa some further than just Italy, and immigrants founded fan clubs in Buenos Aires, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Toronto, New York City, New York, San Francisco, Barcelona, Iceland and other places. The most significant and traditional rivalry for Genoa, is the inner-city one with the club with whom they share a ground;
Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria. Sampdoria was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the ...
. The two clubs compete together in the heated ''
Derby della Lanterna The , Italian for the "Derby of the Lighthouse", is Genoa's local derby, played by Genoa and Sampdoria. It takes place at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, which both clubs share. Background The derby's name is derived from the Torre della Lanterna, ...
'' ("Derby of the Lantern"); a reference to the Lighthouse of Genoa. Genoa's supporters also have a strong distaste for
AC Milan (), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...
. A clash between opposing supporters in January 1995 resulted in the death of Genoese Vincenzo Spagnolo, who was stabbed to death by Milanese Simone Barbaglia. The assailant was a member of an informal group of football hooligans dubbed "The Barbour Ones", who used to routinely carry bladed weapons to matches, a practice made possible by the relaxed security measures of the time. Conversely, the fans of Genoa have long standing friendships with
Napoli Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
(which goes back to the 1982 last match of the season). On the last day of the 2006–07 season, Genoa and
Napoli Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
drew a practical 0–0 ensuring both were promoted back into Serie A; Genoa ultras could be seen holding up banners saying "Benvenuto fratello napoletano", meaning, "Welcome, Neapolitan brother", and the two sets of fans celebrated together in a warm and ever-co-operating manner. On the other hand, the amicable relationship with the red-and-yellow supporters of
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
, fostered by the cession of striker
Roberto Pruzzo Roberto Pruzzo (; born 1 April 1955) is an Italian former football player and coach who played as a forward. He represented Italy at UEFA Euro 1980. Club career Born at Crocefieschi, in the province of Genova, Pruzzo made his debut in profe ...
in 1979 and lasting for most of the 80's has, in recent years, cooled up a bit while another strong fraternity, which saw Genoese football fans on friendly terms with
Torino Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
(since the exchange of Gigi Meroni between the two clubs at the end of the 1963–64 Serie A, 1963–64 season and his untimely death on 15 October 1967) has perhaps broken-down for good after the Torino-Genoa match of season 2008–09. Starved for points and risking a humiliating relegation (one of many in a troubled recent history) the Turinese fans expected a ''friendly'' treatment from Genoa, which, in the heat of a pitched battle with
Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
for the fourth place (which could have won a UEFA Champions League, Champions League spot for the team) did not comply, soundly beating Torino and to many effects sealing its fate. When during early August 2009 Genoa scheduled a friendly match with OGC Nice, Nice in southern Piedmont, many Turinese hooligans travelled to the match location with the precise intention of starting trouble and disorder to "get even" with Genoa and its fans.


Ownership and structure


777 Partners

On 23 September 2021, it was announced that Genoa had been acquired by 777 Partners, a US-based private investment firm founded by Steven W. Pasko and Josh Wander. While terms were not publicly released, sources close to the deal revealed that the team was acquired for its enterprise value of $175 million. Despite being relegated to Serie B in their very first season under 777 Partners ownership, Genoa immediately made it back to
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
the following year.


Cricket

Early on, the club transformed from a multi-sport club to one exclusively focused on football. In 2007, a group of club supporters formed a section dedicated to cricket. It currently competes under the name Genoa Cricket Club 1893 in Serie A of the Italian cricket league.


In Europe


UEFA Cup/Europa League


Honours


National titles


League

*
Italian Football Championship Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
/ Prima Divisione, Northern League /
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
: ** Winners (9):
1898 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queen ...
, 1899 Italian Football Championship, 1899,
1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15 ...
,
1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's ...
,
1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...
,
1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...
, 1914–15, 1922–23, 1923–24 *
Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
: ** Winners (6): 1934–35 Serie B, 1934–35, 1952–53 Serie B, 1952–53, 1961–62 Serie B, 1961–62, 1972–73 Serie B, 1972–73, 1975–76 Serie B, 1975–76, 1988–89 Serie B, 1988–89 *
Serie C The Serie C (), officially known as Serie C NOW for sponsorship purposes, is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing ...
/
Serie C1 Serie C1 was the third highest football league in Italy. It consisted of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions. History Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Se ...
(North): ** Winners (1): 1970–71 Serie C, 1970–71


Cups

*
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
: 1 ** Winners: 1936–37 Coppa Italia, 1936–37 ** Runners-up: 1939–40 Coppa Italia, 1939–40


Other Titles

*
Coppa delle Alpi ''Coppa delle Alpi'' (translated as Cup of the Alps) was an official football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league as it started in 1960 and then they were aided by the Swiss League from 1962, for the reason that the majorit ...
: 2 ** Winners: 1962, 1964 *
Anglo-Italian Cup The Anglo-Italian Cup (, also known as the Anglo-Italian Inter-League Clubs Competition and from 1976 to 1986 as the Alitalia Challenge Cup, Talbot Challenge Cup or Gigi Peronace Memorial) was a European football competition. The competition was ...
: 1 ** Winners: 1995–96 Anglo-Italian Cup, 1996


Youth titles

* Campionato Nazionale Primavera: 1 ** Winners: 2009–10 * Coppa Italia Primavera: 1 :*Winners: 2008–09 * Primavera Super Cup: 2 ** Winners: 2009, 2010 * Torneo di Viareggio: 2 :*Winners: 1965, 2007 * Campionato Nazionale Under-18: 2 ** Winners: 2020–21, 2023–24 * Campionato Nazionale Under-17: ** Runners-up: 2020–21 * Campionato Nazionale giovanile: 2 ** Winners: 1939, 1942


Divisional movements

The total from 1897–1898, 98 includes 105 seasons at a national level from the inception of the Italian football league, including 27 seasons of Prima Categoria and Prima Divisione (from 1898 to 1922 the name of the Italian Football Championship was Prima Categoria). Seasons included Prima Categoria 1907–1908, where Genoa didn't enter the tournament.


Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors


See also

* Dynasty (sports)#Professional, Dynasties in Italian football * Club of Pioneers * Genoa CFC Women * Scudetto of the Pistols


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Footnotes

*


References


External links

*
Genoa CFC
at
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
. .
Genoa CFC
at UEFA.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Genoa Genoa CFC, 1893 establishments in Italy Association football clubs established in 1893 Coppa Italia winning clubs Football clubs in Genoa Football clubs in Italy Italian football First Division clubs Serie A clubs Serie A–winning clubs Serie B clubs Serie C clubs