3 June 1956 - So Close And Yet So Far

On 3 June 1956, Genoa spoiled Fiorentina's bid for an undefeated season, beating them 3-1 on the last day.

Fiorentina had already clinched the Serie A title, starting the day twelve points clear of second-place Milan with a record of twenty wins and thirteen draws, but were hoping to finish the season without a loss. Their chances looked promising, as their last match was at Genoa, whom they had beaten 3-1 earlier in the season.

But Genoa were eager to play the part of spoiler. They had won the league with an undefeated season of their own in 1923 and wanted to prevent Fiorentina from matching that accomplishment. Their hopes took a quick downward turn when Fiorentina midfielder Guido Gratton scored the opening goal in the 24th minute. Content to play for the draw, the visitors then pulled back into a defensive position.

Genoa continued to press forward in the second half, however, and were rewarded with a penalty kick in the 74th minute. Forward Gunnar Gren (pictured), who played for Fiorentina from 1953 to 1955, converted the kick to equalize against his old team. Fiorentina continued to play defensively, but surrendered another goal in the 85th minute, then one more for good measure in the 90th minute to end the day as a 3-1 win for Genoa.

10 April 1897 - Genoa's Genesis

On 10 April 1897, the Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club expanded into football, making them the oldest existing team in Italy.

At the time, the only other football teams were in Turin--Internazionale Torino and FCB Torinese. Genoa, founded in 1893 by British expatriates, initially devoted their attentions to cricket, considering football to be suitable only for the lower classes.

But in 1897, James Richardson Spensley (pictured), an English doctor and football enthusiast, persuaded the club to open a section devoted to football. He also served as the team manager.

The team was immediately successful, winning their first Italian championship in 1989, then winning five of the next six (losing out to Milan in 1901). Meanwhile, Internazionale Torino dissolved in 1900 and Torinese followed in 1906.

In all, Genoa have won a total of nine league titles, though the most recent was in 1924. They have also won an Italian Cup (1937) and, most recently, the Anglo-Italian Cup (1996).

23 September 1919 - Better Late Than Never

On 23 September 1919, the Italian Football Association declared Genoa the champions of the top flight. For the 1914-15 season.

In the 1914-15 season, the Italian title was determined by a tournament that divided the country into a Northern bracket on one side and a Central and Southern bracket on the other. Genoa won their group in the Northern bracket qualification round, then won their semifinal group as well, to reach a final Northern group that included Torino, Inter, and Milan.

With one match left to play in the group, and Genoa leading by two points, the outbreak of World War I forced the cancellation of the competition. The Central and Southern bracket had not even reached the semifinal stage. Thus the league did not have an official winner for the 1914-15 season.

After the conclusion of the war, play resumed in 1919. Not wanting to leave the champions' seat vacant, the Italian Football Association awarded the 1915 title to Genoa based on their position before the suspension of the competition. It was the seventh overall title for the Rossoblu, who lost several players and club founder James Richardson Spensley to the conflict. They won additional titles in 1923 and 1924, but none since.

17 March 1996 - I Suppose Now It's Just An Italian Cup

On 17 March 1996, Genoa won the last Anglo-Italian Cup, beating Port Vale 5-2. And the match wasn't as close as the score makes it seem.

Established in 1970, the tournament came and went in different phases until the 1996 edition, which was the competition's eighth and last year, with eight English teams and eight Italian teams participating. They were evenly divided into two groups, then played each team in their group from the other country (Genoa and Port Vale played to a scoreless draw in their group). In each group, the top two teams from each country then advanced to the knockout rounds, where the English played against the English and the Italians played against the Italians until one team from each country reached the final.

Playing at Wembley, Genoa cruised to a 3-0 lead with goals from Gennaro Ruotolo (12'), Fabio Galante (21'), and Vincenzo Montella (39'). After the break, Ruotolo struck twice more (54', 66') to extended the lead to 5-0. Port Vale got a late brace from Martin Foyle (68', 82') to close the gap to three, but that proved to be the final margin.

Genoa's win evened the overall tournament results to four for each country, as English teams won in 1970 (Swindon Town), 1971 (Blackpool), 1973 (Newcastle), and 1995 (Notts County), and Italian teams won in 1972 (Roma), 1993 (Cremonese), and 1994 (Brescia).

29 January 1995 - The Death Of Vincenzo Spagnolo

On 29 January 1995, 24-year old Genoa supporter Vincenzo Spagnolo was stabbed before a match against AC Milan. He died later that day while undergoing surgery.

According to reports, Spagnolo was on his way into Genoa's Stadio Luigi Ferraris when he and other Genoa supporters were attacked by a group of approximately 20 Milan ultras, who had traveled to the match in disguise, separate from other Milan supporter groups. The attack escalated into a massive brawl, with police using tear gas to subdue the combatants. Spagnolo, who received a stab wound to the stomach, was one of seven people sent to the hospital.

When word reached the teams at halftime, they decided not to continue with the match, which was scoreless. Italian authorities then canceled all national sporting events for the following weekend. The incident caused such sensitivities between Genoa and Milan that their visiting supporters were not allowed into each other's stadiums until 2010.

Witnesses identified Spagnolo's attacker as 19-year old Simone Barbaglia, an apprentice gardener from Milan.

27 December 1966 - The Death Of Guillermo Stábile

On 27 December 1966, Argentina star player and manager Guillermo Stábile died at the age of 61.

A center forward, he joined Huracán as a youth player in 1920, then played there professionally from 1924 to 1930. In that time, he scored 102 goals in 119 appearances, winning the Primera División title in 1925 and 1928.

In the summer of 1930, he participated in the inaugural World Cup, getting his first cap against Mexico in Argentina's second match of the tournament. He scored a hat-trick en route to a 6-3 victory, followed by a brace in the next game against Chile as Argentina topped their group. He scored two more against the United States in the semifinals, then netted in the final against Uruguay. Although Argentina lost that match 4-2, Stábile's eight goals made him the tournament's top scorer.

His performance attracted the attention of Genoa, where he played from 1930-34 before moving to Napoli for the 1934-35 season. he returned to Genoa briefly in 1935, then closed out his playing career with Red Star Paris, serving as player-manager from 1937 to 1939 when he left to manage Argentina.

As manager, he guided the national team to six South American Championships between 1941 and 1957 and the Panamerican Championship in 1960. While in charge there, he also took the reins of several different clubs, including San Lorenzo (1939-40), Estudiantes de la Plata (1940-41), Hurancán (1940-49), and finally Racing Club (1949-60), whom he led to three league titles.

In 1960, he stepped down to become the director of Argentina's national school of football, holding that post until his death in 1966.

3 June 1956 - So Close And Yet So Far

On 3 June 1956, Genoa spoiled Fiorentina's bid for an undefeated season, beating them 3-1 on the last day.

Fiorentina had already clinched the Serie A title, starting the day twelve points clear of second-place Milan with a record of twenty wins and thirteen draws, but were hoping to finish the season without a loss. Their chances looked promising, as their last match was at Genoa, whom they had beaten 3-1 earlier in the season.

But Genoa were eager to play the part of spoiler. They had won the league with an undefeated season of their own in 1923 and wanted to prevent Fiorentina from matching that accomplishment. Their hopes took a quick downward turn when Fiorentina midfielder Guido Gratton scored the opening goal in the 24th minute. Content to play for the draw, the visitors then pulled back into a defensive position.

Genoa continued to press forward in the second half, however, and were rewarded with a penalty kick in the 74th minute. Forward Gunnar Gren (pictured), who played for Fiorentina from 1953 to 1955, converted the kick to equalize against his old team. Fiorentina continued to play defensively, but surrendered another goal in the 85th minute, then one more for good measure in the 90th minute to end the day as a 3-1 win for Genoa.

10 April 1897 - Genoa's Genesis

On 10 April 1897, the Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club expanded into football, making them the oldest existing team in Italy.

At the time, the only other football teams were in Turin--Internazionale Torino and FCB Torinese. Genoa, founded in 1893 by British expatriates, initially devoted their attentions to cricket, considering football to be suitable only for the lower classes.

But in 1897, James Richardson Spensley (pictured), an English doctor and football enthusiast, persuaded the club to open a section devoted to football. He also served as the team manager.

The team was immediately successful, winning their first Italian championship in 1989, then winning five of the next six (losing out to Milan in 1901). Meanwhile, Internazionale Torino dissolved in 1900 and Torinese followed in 1906.

In all, Genoa have won a total of nine league titles, though the most recent was in 1924. They have also won an Italian Cup (1937) and, most recently, the Anglo-Italian Cup (1996).

17 March 1996 - I Suppose Now It's Just An Italian Cup

On 17 March 1996, Genoa won the last Anglo-Italian Cup, beating Port Vale 5-2. And the match wasn't as close as the score makes it seem.

Established in 1970, the tournament came and went in different phases until the 1996 edition, which was the competition's eighth and last year, with eight English teams and eight Italian teams participating. They were evenly divided into two groups, then played each team in their group from the other country (Genoa and Port Vale played to a scoreless draw in their group). In each group, the top two teams from each country then advanced to the knockout rounds, where the English played against the English and the Italians played against the Italians until one team from each country reached the final.

Playing at Wembley, Genoa cruised to a 3-0 lead with goals from Gennaro Ruotolo (12'), Fabio Galante (21'), and Vincenzo Montella (39'). After the break, Ruotolo struck twice more (54', 66') to extended the lead to 5-0. Port Vale got a late brace from Martin Foyle (68', 82') to close the gap to three, but that proved to be the final margin.

Genoa's win evened the overall tournament results to four for each country, as English teams won in 1970 (Swindon Town), 1971 (Blackpool), 1973 (Newcastle), and 1995 (Notts County), and Italian teams won in 1972 (Roma), 1993 (Cremonese), and 1994 (Brescia).

23 September 1919 - Better Late Than Never

On 23 September 1919, the Italian Football Association declared Genoa the champions of the top flight. For the 1914-15 season.

In the 1914-15 season, the Italian title was determined by a tournament that divided the country into a Northern bracket on one side and a Central and Southern bracket on the other. Genoa won their group in the Northern bracket qualification round, then won their semifinal group as well, to reach a final Northern group that included Torino, Inter, and Milan.

With one match left to play in the Northern final group, and Genoa leading by two points, the outbreak of World War I forced the cancellation of the competition. The Central and Southern bracket had not even reached the semifinal stage. Thus the league did not have an official winner for the 1914-15 season.

After the conclusion of the war, play resumed in 1919. Not wanting to leave the champions' seat vacant, the Italian Football Association awarded the 1915 title to Genoa based on their position before the suspension of the competition. It was the seventh overall title for the Rossoblu, who lost several players and club founder James Richardson Spensley to the conflict. They proceeded to claim additional titles in 1923 and 1924, but have won none since.

29 January 1995 - The Death Of Vincenzo Spagnolo

On 29 January 1995, 24-year old Genoa supporter Vincenzo Spagnolo was stabbed before a match against AC Milan. He died later that day while undergoing surgery.

According to reports, Spagnolo was on his way into Genoa's Stadio Luigi Ferraris when he and other Genoa supporters were attacked by a group of approximately 20 Milan ultras, who had traveled to the match in disguise, separate from other Milan supporter groups. The attack escalated into a massive brawl, with police using tear gas to subdue the combatants. Spagnolo, who received a stab wound to the stomach, was one of seven people sent to the hospital.

When word reached the teams at halftime, they decided not to continue with the match, which was scoreless. Italian authorities then canceled all national sporting events for the following weekend. The incident caused such sensitivities between Genoa and Milan that their visiting supporters were not allowed into each other's stadiums until 2010.

Witnesses identified Spagnolo's attacker as 19-year old Simone Barbaglia, an apprentice gardener from Milan.