Calcio Weekender: Genoa and Sampdoria Double-Header

Fully deserving of rest and recreation (and a medal) after braving the Italian heat and highways of Campania, I’d booked a train to Lombardy, where it was even hotter. Indeed, we are calcio mavericks.

I also called upon Dan Cancian to replace the wilting Emmet Gates in the Destination Calcio lineup, the latter happy to escape to the colder climate of London after being baked al forno in Salerno.

Milano was calling me, plus it’s one of the last stops when travelling by train from Naples to Genoa. Located near Porta Garibaldi, Moscova is easy on the eye and ideal for working remotely thanks to its amazing choice of restaurants, bars and dedicated co-working options.

Early doors Saturday meant a two-hour train journey from Milano Centrale to Genoa Principe (€20), with Dan waiting at the other end. Our stroll to Ostello Bello took 90 seconds, priced at approximately €130 per night for a private room – not bad during peak August with hoards of tourists lurking throughout Liguria.

Focaccia is a must-have in Genoa, unbelievably light, delicate and delicious. And there is no better place in Italy to enjoy a dish dolloped with pesto. I’m convinced pesto accounts for a large chunk of the city’s GDP. It is to Genoa what oil is to the Middle East.

La Focacceria di Teobaldo is old-school and tasty, famous for its fluffy breads and pasta. Keep in mind that you won’t be served the most Instagramable dishes there so, if you live your life vicariously through social media “likes”, beware. Rightfully, it’s all about the taste and not the presentation. 

Not wanting to dissuade readers, I opted not to photograph our lunch. The best analogy would be real estate pictures on Idealista: they’re rubbish online, but you realise the apartment is much better once you visit. We punished two bowls of ravioli before kitting up for our first match of the weekend.

Taxis are cheap and easily accessible in Genoa. Buses are regular and usually on time. Getting to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris was unexpectedly painless following the fleecing of Naples where one driver wanted €70 to take us four miles. On that occasion I made Emmet walk to the train. He hates me.

Sampdoria vs SSC Bari, Stadio Luigi Ferraris

It was Sampdoria’s first game since Andrea Pirlo was relieved of his managerial duties. Luckily, we were able to quiz the Azzurri legend in Salerno, the day before his sacking. Bless him for what he’s done on the pitch, not in the dugout. Surely, he’ll be back soon.

Bari are struggling under Moreno Longo but were nonetheless supported by hundreds of raucous fans who made the trip up from Puglia. The passing of Sven-Goran Eriksson meant a pre-match tribute – you can read about that here – as Samp fans paid their respects through song and silence.

Incoming coach Andrea Sottil wasn’t done any favours on debut, with referee Fabio Maresca sending Stipe Vulikić off in the 14th minute. Now led by former Italian international Kevin Lasagna, Bari dominated proceedings and monopolised possession, but Samp goalkeeper Paolo Vismara repelled everything the Galletti threw at him, and he denied Lasagna from the spot. Do congratulate me for refraining from adding a food-related quip.

Fittingly for Sven, Samp held on for a draw despite the numerical advantage, just as they did against Napoli during his reign, back when Pietro Vierchowod was dismissed in 1993.

It was the first goalless stalemate we’d seen on our travels in eight games, a result that Sottil will welcome with open arms. Words can’t describe the atmosphere, so here’s a post from our TikTok which has instigated much debate:

Still, Doria are winless this season, something we’ll dissect later this week in our Features section. For now, enjoy our Sampdoria podcast on DC TV, live at Marassi.

It was time to had back to Principe and, according to Dan, a seven minute walk would get us to the bus stop. Behold Scalinata Montaldo, the mother of all staircases that has made many an eyeball water. With hundreds of stairs painted red and blue before us, our calf muscles begged us to opt-out. #Miseria

Once we finished our ascent into cardio hell, Dan’s watch alert confirmed the trek was equivalent to 19 flights of stairs. There must have been a dozen blocks of flats we passed on the way up. Genoa is a beautifully carved collection of hills with stunning architecture constructed upon them.

At least the bus ride was over in 15 minutes. We agreed that food was in order, and 20 metres across the road stood Trattoria Tralalero, another sumptuous Genovese restaurant that thrives on filling foreign bellies.

Dan chose the Farinata, a street food item that resembles a pizza base without toppings. It has a soft, custardy centre and a crisp, brown exterior.

Farinata is made exclusively from chickpea flour, salt, and water and is gluten-free. Reminding myself of the time spent with my Nonne, I went for the hearty minestrone, which didn’t disappoint. Even the most picky of Italian grandmothers would be hard-pressed to fault the alta qualità.

The official Genoa Cricket and Football Club (CFC) museum is located portside in the Darsena area, and entry costs only €6. So we spent Sunday morning gasping over hundreds of nostalgic items in rooms bathed in Rossoblu, including Roberto Pruzzo’s boots and a trophy cabinet exhibiting silverware dated back to pre-World War One, when Genoa won all nine of their domestic league titles. Stay tuned for our upcoming video, in which we will show off what we saw. For now, here’s our Genoa podcast.

Genoa CFC vs Hellas Verona, Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Hyped by Genoa’s historical supremacy and filled by the city’s excellent array of seafood at Trattoria dell’Acciughetta, we re-entered the Ferraris for our second match there in two days. Can life get any better than this?

You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers and Sarà Perché Ti Amo (Ricchi e Poveri) headlined the hour-long playlist before the match. And that’s as good as it got for Rossoblu fans, who watched as Hellas sat deep in a low block and manufactured two goals with counter-attacking football. Here’s our feature on the matter.

Despite the razzle-dazzle of Junior Messias, who Gascoigned his way through most of Verona’s defence, Genoa simply failed to put the ball into the net. It ended 2-0 to the visitors, and Verona coach Paolo Zanetti leap-frogged Alberto Gilardino (beautiful visual there) up the standings into fifth. But the season has only just begun, and the international break is here.

Not that he’ll read this, but thanks to Francesco – security guy at Marassi – for the biscotti, panini and refreshments. Well done to the other journalists there who scoffed them down before kickoff got underway.

Pumped up by the verbal grenades Genoa and Hellas fans lobbed at each other for 90 minutes, we climbed the Scalinata for a second day running. I was as unstoppable for the first 100 steps as a Sinisa Mihajlović free kick, as dejected as Tiziano Crudeli watching his team lose 5-0 over the final 200.

Genoa is the perfect place for a double-header. Here’s a tip if you plan to copy us by staying at Ostello Bello: booking directly through the Ostello Bello website allows you to select an early check-in (midday) and late checkout (1 pm). The receptionists have maps available with all the best restaurants and bars for Aperitivo time, including Bar Cavo, located 10 metres away.

Taxis to the Cristoforo Colombo (Genova City) airport from Principe cost around €25-30, and buses are available for €6. Flight time to London – and most cities in the United Kingdom – is 90 minutes.

On a personal note, I was moved by how Genoa fans paid their respects to Sven, head coach of their arch-nemesis Sampdoria. Indeed, it was an immensely emotional moment for the city.

With that, Calcio Binge Four will take us to Como for their first Serie A match in 21 years.

Read about our previous weekenders through Campania and Italy’s Northern regions.

There is no better way to spend your weekends as long as the destination is calcio.