Controversial Genoa president Enrico Preziosi has said he is ready to throw in the towel after more criticism by supporters.
The 69-year-old, who has twice been banned and seen his club relegated over a match-fixing scandal during his turbulent 14 years at the helm, ordered his team to train at a secret location on Thursday to avoid protesting fans.
Genoa, who have a tough match at AC Milan on Saturday, have won only one out of 11 games since the start of the year and the final straw was a 1-0 defeat to neighbours and bitter rivals Sampdoria on Saturday.
They are four places off the bottom in Serie A, although in no immediate danger of relegation thanks to the even more dismal form of bottom three sides Crotone, Pescara and Palermo.
Genoa’s Ultras, known as the Gradinata Nord, bitterly criticised the team and called for a protest on Thursday in front of the team’s training ground.
“Shameful. There aren’t many words to describe the only possible feeling towards those who are unworthy of representing Genoa,” said the fans, who previously boycotted a home match in February in protest at Preziosi’s management.
Preziosi, the head of Italy’s largest toy manufacturer, said the criticism was unfair.
“When Genoa win, the team belongs to the supporters, when Genoa lose the team belongs to Preziosi,” he said. “I do what I can and I recognise that it has not been enough, but it’s wrong to destroy 10 years of work at Genoa.”
“I asked the supporters to leave the team in peace. We will leave the city to avoid these gentlemen.”
Preziosi added he was ready to “let go” as president.
“I realised that my cycle is over and perhaps it is also right that I sell and I withdraw, but only after we are mathematically safe,” he said.
Preziosi took over the presidency in 2003 with Genoa in the second tier Serie B.
The club thought they had won promotion to Serie A in 2005 but were instead relegated to the third tier after the Italian league found evidence guilty of match-fixing.
Preziosi was banned for five years although this was later annulled on appeal.
Genoa then won promotion to the top flight in 2007, although Preziosi was given another five-year ban, this time for irregularities in financial dealings with his former club Como. This was also later annulled.
After that, the team enjoyed some good seasons, finishing fifth in 2009 and sixth in 2015.
However the latter led to more criticism of the club management when they missed out on European football because they were late filing paperwork.
Fixtures
Serie A
Playing today
Torino vs Inter - 18.00
Milan vs Genoa - 20.45
Tomorrow – 15.00
Atalanta vs Pescara
Bologna vs Chievo
Cagliari vs Lazio
Crotone vs Fiorentina
Empoli vs Napoli - 12.30
Sampdoria vs Juventus
Udinese vs Palermo - 18.00
Roma vs Sassuolo - 20.45
Standings: Juventus 70; Roma 62; Napoli 60; Lazio 56; Inter 54; Atalanta 52; Milan 50; Fiorentina 45; Sampdoria 41; Torino 39; Chievo 38; Udinese 33; Sassuolo, Bologna, Cagliari 31; Genoa 29; Empoli 22; Palermo 15; Crotone 14; Pescara 12.
Serie B
Played yesterday
Perugia vs Benevento - 3-1
TODAY – 15.00
Ascoli vs Cittadella
Avellino vs Novara
Brescia vs Spezia
Carpi vs Spal
Frosinone vs Vicenza
Pisa vs Latina
Pro Vercelli vs Verona
Trapani vs Bari
Tomorrow
Cesena vs Ternana
Monday
Entella vs Salernitana
Leading standings: Spal 55; Verona, Frosinone 53; Benevento 48; Perugia 47; Bari 46; Spezia, Novara, Cittadella 44; Entella, Carpi 43; Salernitana 36.