Why Andriy Shevchenko Has Made the Correct Decision in Accepting the Genoa CFC Job

Think of Serie A throughout its modern history and many a great side will come to one’s attention. SSC Napoli and their MaGiCa attack (an acronym comprised of Diego Maradona, Bruno Giordano and Careca) of the late 1980s which won two Scudetti, Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello’s brilliant AC Milan side of the early to mid-1990s, Jose Mourinho’s Internazionale treble winning outfit of 2009/10. Finally, the brilliant Juventus FC side of 2011/12 to 2019/20, winners of nine straight Scudetti, the longest title winning streak in Italian football history.

However, Calcio’s original dynasty football team is the country’s oldest, Genoa CFC. Founded in 1893 originally as an athletics and cricket club, the club started its football activities four years later in 1897 under the watch of naval medic James Richardson Spensley, based in the city at the time. Il Grifone won the first three editions of the Italian Football Championship between 1898 and 1900, the precursor to Serie A, which had its first-round robin championship in 1929. 

Genoa with nine championship victories rank 4th for titles won in Italy, only Serie A’s so-called “Big Three” of Juventus FC, Internazionale and AC Milan are ranked ahead. However, their last championship was won in 1923/24. Their first and so-far only Coppa Italia victory was in 1936/37. Their last trophy of any description came when the club was in Serie B, a victory in the final edition of the now-defunct Anglo-Italian Cup in 1995/96.

In 1990/91, Genoa finished 4th in Serie A, their highest classification since a 4th place finish in 1941/42. The following year saw a drop to 14th in Serie A, however, a run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. Twelve seasons were spent in the second and third tiers of Italian football between 1995 and 2007 before Il Grifone returned to Serie A for the 2007/08 season, where they have remained ever since.