Football Season Review

№17: Genoa

After employing three different managers over the course of the season, Genoa eventually stumbled over the finish line to survival on the final day. Davide Ballardini and Ivan Juric continued to play a strange game of "hot potato" with the Genoa manager's job. Ballardini started the campaing in charge after securing survival last season and made a great start with 4 wins from the first 6 games. It quickly turned sour though and club president Enrico Preziosi's dismissed him for the third time in October - going as far as to call him a "terrible coach". Inexplicably though, Preziosi rehired Juric for a third stint in charge and almost inevitably the Croatian didn't last very long - failing to win any of his 8 games in charge. Former national team boss Cesare Prandelli was the Grifone's third and final coach of the season. He produced a good run of form for the club in the first 3 months of 2019 - highlighted by becoming the first team in Serie A to beat Juventus this season - but that turned out to be their final league victory. Just 5 points from their last 10 games saw them crawl to safety. Krzysztof Piatek was only at Genoa for the first half of the season but his impact cannot be denied. 19 goals in 21 appearances brought about a €35 million transfer to Milan in Janaury. A huge profit for Genoa off the pitch but a massive loss on it. They struggled to replace his goals and haven't yet used the funds from his sale well enough. There are strong rumours that Prandelli will leave his position in the summer which means yet another new coach for Genoa. Leonardo Semplici has been linked but whoever it is, the Grifone faithful will be hoping for some sense of stability.


Player of the Season: Krzysztof Piatek