match is utterly boring really.

highlight of the match, Luca Toni getting injured

Preziosi doesn't use them in the right way, he's just turning players over to make money, he actively encourages his players to be sold as soon as possible.

Genoa match halted as ultras demand players hand over their shirts, which they did

By Brooks Peck

Genoa captain Marco Rossi collects his teammates' shirts to hand over. (AP)

A small group of Genoa "ultras" put on an incredible display of fan power during Sunday's match against Siena. After Siena took a 4-0 lead over relegation-threatened Genoa early in the second half, the hardcore supporters group began their protest and essentially held the match hostage.

From Football Italia:

Genoa were losing 4-0 at the 53rd minute when the Marassi crowd halted play by throwing fireworks and climbing on top of the tunnel.

Captain Marco Rossi went to negotiate with the ultras, who demanded the squad remove their jerseys, as they were "unworthy" of wearing the Genoa colours.

After some time, the players accepted and there were tears from Giandomenico Mesto as he handed over his shirt.

Rossi was walking around the pitch with a pile of jerseys to show the fans, but Giuseppe Sculli refused to co-operate.

Sculli then went over to the ultras standing atop the tunnel and delivered an impassioned plea, making it clear that he didn't want to hand over his shirt because he was giving his all. Goalkeeper Sebastien Frey also refused to take off his shirt and argued with fans behind his goal. As the riot police continued to loiter, Sculli's speech and the supporters' protest then ended with Sculli in tears and being consoled by one of the ultras.

The match then resumed after a 45-minute delay and finished without further incident as Genoa lost 4-1 (their one goal was a Siena own goal).

After the match, Italian football chiefs expressed their unease over fans exhibiting so much control. From the AP:

''This violence is unacceptable,'' Italian soccer federation President Giancarlo Abete said. ''These are not fans. I hope these people are found and condemned. They shouldn't ever be allowed to enter stadiums again.''

Genoa president Enrico Preziosi said ''it's upsetting that 60 or 100 people have the impunity to do and say what they feel like without being stopped and sent home.''
''It's not possible that they take over the stadium and impose their laws,'' he said.
Well, it appears that it is, Mr. Preziosi.

UPDATE: Football Italia and Sky Sports Italia now reporting that Genoa sacked manager Alberto Malesani after the match. This is the second time Malesani has been sacked by Genoa this season.

A spokesman for the Genoa fans who disrupted play for over 40 minutes yesterday has defended their actions and asserted that no violence took place.

The match between the Grifone and Siena was temporarily halted less than 10 minutes into the second half yesterday afternoon due to the actions of a group of Rossoblu supporters angry at the 0-4 score-line.

“Everybody talks about violence, but violence is another thing,” expressed the ultras’ representative Fabrizio Fileni on Studio Sport on Monday.

“At the stadium yesterday nothing happened, there is nothing to repent for.

“Indeed, we had decided to resume the game. It was a mixture of anger and worry because we risk relegation.”

Fileni was asked what violence was, if not the throwing of flares on to the pitch yesterday, the blocking of the players’ tunnel and the reported threats to invade the playing area.

“Violence is that which is seen in the Rome derby, where you have people being stabbed. Instead, we have asked our fans not to commit acts of violence.

“We’re used to seeing ugly incidents outside stadiums, but this time nothing happened. Women and children fled the stadium? This is not true, we have been attentive to this situation.”

His interviewers asked for comment on the fans’ demands to captain Marco Rossi that he and his teammates handed over their shirts, as they had deemed the footballers ‘unworthy’ of wearing them.

“Up to 3-0 we cheered as usual. There was no premeditation [to humiliate the players], but then what prevailed was a mixture of anger and concern.

“It was more concern in truth, because we risk relegation and that was a turning point.

“We did not force the players to remove their shirts. We asked. Because they had dishonoured them.”