Alberto Gilardino Bids Emotional Farewell to Genoa | OneFootball

Alberto Gilardino has waved goodbye to Genoa after the club relieved him of his duties during the final stretch of November’s international break. Gilardino took to Instagram to bid farewell to the Rossoblu faithful after being replaced by Patrick Vieira.

“Ciao Genoa!” Gilardino wrote. “I want to salute you and thank everyone who believed in me, as a coach and first of all as a man. Thank you to all the players who over these years experienced the long and exciting journey, to my two faithful allies Tano and Dario, and all of my staff.

“Thank you from the heart to all the people who work at the Pio center with dedication and passion, constantly for the good of the team. Thank you to the entire population of Genoa supporters, tireless soul and pulsating hearts of the Grifone, thank you for making me feel part of something unique and extraordinary.

“I will carry you in my heart, always. Gila.“

Genoa sacked Gilardino only 12 rounds into the 2024/25 Serie A campaign. The Griffins entered the international break a point clear of the bottom three after only collecting two league wins this season.

Vieira, who came in to replace the former Italian striker, oversaw his first training session on Wednesday. The Frenchman found a familiar face at Luigi Ferraris.

Mario Balotelli and Vieira shared the dressing room at OGC Nice. However, their relationship wasn’t pleasant, to say the least. Genoa fans could only hope the two strong characters can put their differences aside.