Daniele De Rossi enters the long Serie A pause with Genoa’s backing still intact, but with the familiar uncertainty that comes when a club has only one point and the calendar offers time for reflection. He knows the rhythm of football well enough to understand that assurances can change quickly, even if he remains convinced he can lift the Rossoblu out of their difficult start.
The decisive factor, from De Rossi’s perspective, is the dressing room. After the defeat at Parma, he said he felt the squad remained with him, and there is no suggestion of a split between coach and players. For a man who has spent 25 years in football dressing rooms, that relationship is the line that cannot be allowed to break.
Quick facts
- Genoa have taken one point from their opening Serie A matches.
- They lost 2-0 at home to Napoli, then were beaten by Lazio, Como and Parma.
- Their only point came against Frosinone.
- Fiorentina, coached by Paolo Vanoli, visit the Ferraris on 10 October.
- Christian Vecchia has left the team-manager role, with Marco Pellegri returning.
Genoa’s current troubles have roots in the planning of the summer. On 19 April, victory over Pisa effectively secured survival, even before it was mathematically confirmed. De Rossi and the club then began discussing the next season: recruitment, the pre-season camp, friendlies and work on the training pitches at Pegli.
The original intention was to sell one major player while preserving the core of the side and continuing to invest. There was even talk of aiming for a place in the Conference League. De Rossi embraced the project, turning down approaches from Italy and abroad, with only a call from the Italy national team seen as capable of taking him away from Genoa and a city to which he had become attached.
That picture changed as the weeks passed. Players departed, replacements arrived with difficulty, and not all were immediately ready to contribute. The promised investment did not materialise, while financial caution became increasingly central to the club’s decisions.
De Rossi sensed the shift during the training camp in Moena and adjusted his own target. European ambition was set aside; avoiding relegation became the realistic objective. Yet the early results have been worse than anticipated, producing a historically poor opening in the standings.
There were encouraging signs in the home match against Napoli. Genoa played well enough to feel they deserved at least a draw, but lost 2-0 at the Ferraris amid refereeing controversy. Instead of becoming a platform, that performance was followed by defeats to Lazio, Como and Parma, with the draw against Frosinone leaving the total at one point.
The sense around the side is that it lacks the freedom and force of a year ago, when De Rossi’s personality appeared to reach the group before any tactical message. Now there is a weight around the team that only a result can remove.
Fiorentina’s visit on 10 October has therefore become a significant point in Genoa’s season. Vanoli’s side arrive at the Ferraris in a fixture that carries an unusual echo: 9 November 2025 was De Rossi’s first match as Genoa coach. He now has three weeks to ensure the meeting with Fiorentina does not become his last in charge.
Behind the scenes, Genoa have already made one change. Christian Vecchia has departed as team manager, while Marco Pellegri returns to the position. De Rossi’s immediate task, however, remains on the pitch: preserve the bond with his players and turn it into the points that can steady Genoa’s championship.
