Genoa coach Alberto Gilardino spoke with La Gazzetta dello Sport on the one year anniversary of taking over the role: “With the call from Genoa my life changed.” The World Cup winner was originally the clubs youth team coach but was promoted to the senior side, following the firing of Alexander Blessin. A string of positive results led to a Serie A promotion, with Gilardino penning a contract extension until June 2024.
Speaking with La Gazzetta, he recounted his first year in charge of the club, the difference’s of coaching in Serie A and B and what the season holds for Genoa:
Alberto, are you satisfied?
“I was thinking about it these days, until a year and a half ago I was walking on Serie C and D pitches, then with the call from Genoa my life changed. My story can also be useful for young people looking for their dreams: always believe in it, I wanted this. To coach, aiming higher and higher’.
You led the Primavera rossoblù, then…
“I found many people here that I had worked with as a player, they gave me a hand. And then I immediately got into the heads of the boys, they gave me important answers and our progress in the championship, extraordinary for the results obtained, proves it. There was a fantastic chemistry and this facilitated the achievement of the promotion objective. A feat for the way we played in December. That was the highest point”.
Remember 6 December 2022?
“I say that past experiences had served me to grow, but here I kept my moral and technical principles: two days after my arrival we had Südtirol at home, I was immediately focused on that match”.
Is Serie A as he expected?
“It’s a completely new world, but I like it.”
The relationship with the team?
“I consider them as sons, me having three girls at home…. I’m honest: it’s not easy, but it’s basic if you want to be credible and consistent even in difficult times’.
Coach Spalletti invited the clubs to make greater use of young player. Your Genoa is true example.
‘I’m not afraid to let a boy play if he deserves it. On the contrary, I consider it important to do so. Last year I made Boci, Lipani and Accornero make their debut, this year Fini, who was born in 2006. The club wants to create something for the future’.
Fifteen points in 14 matches: a positive balance?
“We’re in line with the goals we set at the start of the season, but it’s normal to complain about a few points, but it took time to create a strong DNA.
You are recovering important players.
“Never have I had Retegui, Messias, Gudmundsson and Malinovskyi together. To have them coexist? We will have to be good there, although the balance of the team remains my priority’.
As a former striker, how much can Retegui, whom Spalletti is counting on for the European Championship in Germany, improve?
“Mateo is growing, let’s not forget that he has been playing uninterruptedly since last January. Now he has to get back on track, in these last two months he has been able to recover. He has to help us score goals to reach our goal, then we will deliver him to Italy at full strength. He has physicality, he plays well with his back to goal, he brings the team up, he attacks the depth: we expect a lot from him and he knows it”.
Special mention also for Frendrup. What progress…
“He’s a box-to-box, he’s made incredible growth, but I expected it: he’s intelligent and since last year he’s been playing with two super elements like Badelj and Strootman, learning a lot.”
Gudmundsson’s explosion is down to you. Last year he scored 11 goals, including 10 after your arrival on the bench.
“Of that I am proud. Before I took over the team, Albert played little and had not yet expressed his full potential. I gave him freedom and he blossomed like a rose. But I also think about the growth of Bani, Sabelli, Dragusin, Vogliacco, De Winter, Vasquez. I try to make everyone feel part of it.
He lives the game intensely.
“I get so angry, losing makes me suffer, I don’t sleep at night. I tell the boys that defeat can help, but if it comes it must burn so much in the body and in the feeling.”
Strange numbers: you are third in Serie A for points at half-time and also for woodwork hit.
“It means we see the goal… on the first figure, especially in the end of games, we have to grow on a mental level.”
Other aspects to improve?
“I would like more verticalisations in the last thirty metres and more concreteness, we have the quality to do it. And then I ask for defensive compactness.
Looking to the future?
“I think about the present and growing a lot with these guys.”
