Genoa’s win over Venezia carried the weight of a relegation battle, but Daniele De Rossi left the pitch with one regret of his own. The coach reacted towards the stands at full time, then accepted responsibility for allowing a single voice to draw him into an exchange.
The decision
De Rossi said his response had been wrong. He explained that one spectator had spent the match continually speaking from the tribune, but stressed that the overwhelming majority of the crowd had backed the team with real commitment.
“I made the mistake,” De Rossi said. “One person kept talking for 90 minutes. I can live with being treated as if I am stupid, but these players need support. I should not have reacted and I apologise.”
The Genoa coach was keen to separate that incident from the wider atmosphere at the ground. Around 30,000 supporters, he said, had produced “a masterpiece of love”, even if they may not have enjoyed every part of the performance.
He also defended Lorenzo Colombo, who was not fully fit but made himself available after work from the medical staff. De Rossi praised the forward’s effort and willingness to sacrifice for the side, adding that he deserved recognition rather than criticism from the crowd.
Sunday’s picture
The result against Venezia was among De Rossi’s most significant since taking charge of Genoa because of the points at stake in a direct contest. The home side endured a difficult second half, particularly during its opening 10 minutes, when simple losses of possession allowed Venezia to press and take territory.
Genoa struggled to push their opponents away from goal and De Rossi admitted the team could have been punished by a header from an unmarked player in the area. He said his side needed to play above the pressure rather than merely trying to slow the game down.
Two forwards were introduced as Genoa tried to find a way through the spell of pressure. De Rossi insisted that attempting to run down the clock was not an intelligent way to manage a match and said the second-half display must improve.
There were, nevertheless, reasons for encouragement. Genoa are beginning to recover players, while the clean sheet offered an important lift after a testing afternoon. De Rossi said the squad should be pleased with the outcome, having given everything in a match he knew could bring valuable points.
Attention now turns to Juventus. Genoa’s task is to take something from that fixture, while De Rossi’s own message remains simple: the side need the same collective backing that was visible from the great majority against Venezia.
