As one of Italy’s most passionate and colourful derbies approaches, the city of Genoa watches two teams in very different situations. Whilst the Sampdoria ship sits proudly in the dock, happy with her prestigious position, the Genoa vessel is all at sea looking for the light to avoid the rocks. The Rossoblu are dangerously close to the drop and show no signs of improving, whilst the Blucerchiati are flirting heavily with Europe. As the Derby approaches, the result takes on much more significance than the choreography, flares, even the history, this is where either team can improve their campaign by seriously damaging the other.
For Genoa, this is not a time to talk of their founder James Richardson Spensley, the great William Garbutt or any of the glories past. After all, everyone knows the stories and to rekindle them only shows how far they have fallen since they were winning titles from 1897 and beyond. Now, they lie in 18th place, scoring only 10 times, winning but once. The squad have been in ‘ritiro’ before the Derby and perhaps rightly so, Ivan Juric is under pressure and a training camp maybe the last thing he can do to get a result out of his players.
Genoa President Enrico Preziosi is “convinced Ivan Juric is a great Coach” but made sure that the ‘mister’ was under no illusion that “results count…”. Whilst the Italian press are convinced that the Derby could see the Croatian be removed if defeated, the truth us that a change of coach may not be the solution. The squad is far from a cohesive unit and other than Mattia Perin, there ever faithful and brilliant goalkeeper, it is hard to see who are the main talents in the team that can get them out of this situation.
Perhaps the biggest area of concern is the forward line. Failing to score in six out of the eleven games they have played so far, they are not only struggling to create but also convert. Perhaps when looking at the personal it is no surprise as veterans Goran Pandev and Raffaele Palladino hardly strike fear into their opponents. The bright young hope, Gianluca Lapadula (on loan from Milan) has also had a bad time of things and has failed to net a single goal this term. The fact that their main attacking threats are Bulgarian Andrey Galabinov and the potentially brilliant but ever so young Pietro Pellegri (he is only 16) perhaps show why they sit in such a lowly position.
Being one of Serie A’s youngest teams (formed in 1946), is why Sampdoria don’t care for history. This is amplified even more so now, and they are living in the here and now. Why not either, the team are flying and other then a freak 4-0 defeat to Udinese they have not only entertained but also, they have scored goals. Against Milan, Fiorentina and Atalanta they have taken scalps and were unlucky not to get a point against Inter as they nearly roared to a comeback. Not since the days of Giampaolo Pazzini and Antonio Cassano has there been such good feeling for Sampdoria and they will be happy going into the Derby against a timid Genoa team, especially with Europe becoming an early thought this season.
Whilst Genoa’s side looks rag-tag and lacking potency, the Blucerchiati most certainly do not. Marco Giampaolo has assembled a side that combines youth an experience and what’s more all seem in form. Christian Puggioni is having an Indian summer in goal, Bartosz Bereszynski is one of the stand out defenders this season and Uruguayan Lucas Torreira has been sparkling in midfield, just look at his free-kick against Chievo last time out.
Even more so than this and in contrast the Grifone, the Sampdoria strikers have impressed. Fabio Quagliarella looks as good as he has ever been, the 34-year-old has six goals in 10 games, Duvan Zapata is also scoring as the powerhouse has four in eight. Ex-Inter man Gianluca Caprari is showing why he would have been good cover for Mauro Icardi and has looked lively, whilst Pole David Kowancki, looks like one of the finds of the season since arriving from Lech Poznan.
Sampdoria’s mixture of youth, experience, power speed and intelligence are not only the blueprint for how a team with this budget should be run but it is also a slap in the face for Genoa as it is nothing they could not or should not be able to achieve. That is why this weekend when the smoke has cleared, and the flags come to rest only one thing will matter, the result. History is all well and good to look back on, but these teams have to focus on the here and now if they ever want to look back with pride.
