The 2024/25 Italian Serie A campaign has not gone to plan for Genoa, and their fans are rightly up in arms as 12 games into the season they have only picked up ten points courtesy of two wins and four draws.
42 year old former Italian international striker Alberto Gilardino has had a mixed spell at the club since taking over back in December 2022, but it has certainly gone pear shaped this year with six defeats and a minus 13 goal difference. Ahead of the November international break, it did seem that their problems were easing though as with injuries easing, they had picked up four points from their last two games.
On Tuesday it was being reported that their board had now given him his marching orders, and that they had quickly appointed former French international midfielder Patrick Vieira as his replacement. The 48 year old continues to learn his trade in the dug out but has been out of work since leaving French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg by mutual consent last summer.
However, as the day progressed the story became a little bit more complicated as other outlets were suggesting that Gilardino was on the verge of being dispensed with, and that Vieira had simply been lined up as the favourite to replace him.
With media favourite Mario Balotelli having just recently announced his own decision to head to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, the speculation even spanned as far as suggesting that Vieira’s assumed impending arrival could have massive implications for the 34 year old striker.
Fans of the Rossoblu may be aware that the duo have history as team mates from spells with Inter Milan and Manchester City, but their relationship significantly soured and they fell out when Vieira was the coach of Nice, and it eventually led to Balotelli moving on to Marseille.
In fact, Vieira was quoted as saying.
‘When it comes to Mario, I want to answer back, or just slam him up against the wall, or leave him hanging by his collar on the coat rack.’
An official, albeit extremely brief, statement from the club confirmed that Gilardino had in fact been given his marching orders on Tuesday, but at the time of writing there had been no official confirmation that a replacement – let alone Vieira – had yet been appointed.
Whether or not that confirmation follows on Wednesday, or we find out that the media have slightly jumped the gun here, or potentially namechecked the entirely wrong gaffer, remains to be seen.
If it is the Frenchman though, after some struggles he will certainly be looking to impress to really prove his mettle as a manager following what was a stellar playing career, and we will simply find out if he still feels the same way about his former colleague.
