Genoa CFC

Having been founded in 1893, Genoa CFC holds the title of the oldest Italian football team. Football, however, was not a section from the beginning – the initials CFC stands for "Cricket and Football Club". The later involvement of football is mostly credited to the work of an English doctor named James Richardson Spensley, otherwise known as the father of Italian football. In its early years Genoa was in fact an English club with the function of representing its country abroad.

Basic facts

Founded: 1893
Country: Italy
City: Genoa

Home grounds

Stadio Luigi Ferraris (1911-)

Main trophies

Italian Football Championship/Serie A: 9
Coppa Italia: 1

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Italian Football Championship: 1897–98, 1898–99, 1899–00, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1914–15, 1922–23, 1923–24
Coppa Italia: 1936–37

Prominent players

Roberto Pruzzo, Marco Nappi, Gianluca Signorini, Gennaro Ruotolo, Giandomenico Mesto, Diego Milito, Marco Rossi, Thiago Motta

Club records

Most games played: Gennaro Ruotolo (444)
Top goalscorer: Virgilio Levratto (84)

Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Old photograph of Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

History

The club did originally arise as a cricket and athletic club, named Genoa Cricket & Athletic Club; it wasn't until 1897 that the football section started dominating the club. Both cricket and football were British imports and the influence could be seen in the name: Genoa and not Genova.

In 1898, Genoa is a part of the first known friendly match between two Italian football teams, the other team was a constellation of two Turin teams. In the same year is the Italian Football Federation inaugurated by Genoa and six other teams. Genoa would win the first edition of the new founded Italian Football Championship. A historical triumph, but which should be seen in the light of the fact that only three other teams were involved – Internazionale Torino, FBC Torinese and Ginnastica Torino – all Turin-based.

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The first dynasty in Italian football

Genoa would win six out of the first seven Italian football championships ever organized (1898, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1903 and 1904). Their dominance came to an end with the rise of other contenders to the throne such as Juventus and Milan, and the club had to settle for playing second fiddle for the rest of the decade.

The appointment of William Garbutt as head coach in 1912 brought a lot of positive changes to the club. As the first professional manager in the country, Garbutt led the club to its seventh title in 1915; however, Genoa would only be awarded the title four years later, after the World War I had ended.

Even though many of their players died while on military duty, Genoa stayed in the top of Italian football. With Garbutt still the team manager, the club won its final two championships in 1922 and 1924 (a few years before the league change its name to Serie A). These two titles marked the beginning of the end for the club's ambitions; after winning its first and only Coppa Italia trophy in 1937, the best part of Genoa's next seven decades were steeped in mediocrity.

No longer a powerhouse

Genoa's final stab at relevance came in 1991. The club managed to reach the UEFA Cup semi-finals, narrowly losing to eventual winners Ajax. What followed was their darkest period – in 1995 they were relegated to Serie B, which was to be their home for the next ten years. In 2005, they were demoted to Serie C1 due to their part in the match-fixing scandal. Not long after that, however, Genoa earned their promotion to Serie A, where they're still competing to this day.

By Martin Wahl

Logo

Genoa C.FC logoThe upper part of the Genoa crest consists of the English flag, this is due to fact that the club in its early years represented England abroad. The main part of the crest is divided by the red and blue colors and a drawing of a griffin (a mythic creature) in the foreground.

Genoa CFC timeline

1893 The club is established as Genoa Cricket & Athletic Club.
1898 First time Italian champions.
1899 The club is renamed as Genoa Cricket and Football Club.
1901 The team change to a red and blue kit.
1912 The appointed William Garbutt becomes the first professional manager in Italian football.
1937 First Coppa Italia victory.
1962 First Coppa delle Alpi trophy.
1966 The club is renamed as Genoa 1893 S.p.A.
1996 First Anglo-Italian Cup trophy.
1997 The club switch back to call themselves Genoa CFC.

Trivia

Football clubs also founded in 1893

Basel FC logoBasel FC
FC Porto logoFC Porto

Football clubs ordered after establishment

League statistics

League record

Titles in total: 9
Serie A titles: 0
First participation: 1898
First title: 1898

All seasons

Season League Position Points Notes
2018-19 Serie A 17 38  
2017-18 Serie A 12 41  
2016-17 Serie A 16 36  
2015-16 Serie A 11 46  
2014-15 Serie A 6 59  
2013-14 Serie A 14 44  
2012-13 Serie A 17 38  
2011-12 Serie A 17 42  
2010-11 Serie B 10 51 Promoted
2009-10 Serie A 9 51 Relegated
2008-09 Serie A 5 68  
2007-08 Serie A 10 48  
2006-07 Serie B 3 78 Promoted
2005-06 Serie C1 Girone A 2 56 Promoted
2004-05 Serie B 22 76 Relegated
2003-04 Serie B 16 55  
2002-03 Serie B 18 39  
2001-02 Serie B 12 47  
2000-01 Serie B 12 47  
1999-00 Serie B 6 57  
1998-99 Serie B 6 57  
1997-98 Serie B 9 51  
1996-97 Serie B 5 61  
1995-96 Serie B 7 52  
1994-95 Serie A 15 40 Relegated
1993-94 Serie A 11 32  
1992-93 Serie A 13 31  
1991-92 Serie A 14 29  
1990-91 Serie A 4 40  
1989-90 Serie A 11 29  
1988-89 Serie B 1 13 Promoted
1987-88 Serie B 14 32  
1986-87 Serie B 6 42  
1985-86 Serie B 7 40  
1984-85 Serie B 6 40  
1983-84 Serie A 14 25 Relegated
1982-83 Serie A 11 27  
1981-82 Serie A 13 25  
1980-81 Serie B 3 48 Promoted
1979-80 Serie B 11 38  
1978-79 Serie B 12 35  
1977-78 Serie A 14 25 Relegated
1976-77 Serie A 11 27  
1975-76 Serie B 1 45  
1974-75 Serie B 7 38  
1973-74 Serie A 15 17  
1972-73 Serie B 1 53 Promoted
1971-72 Serie B 10 41  
1970-71 Serie C Girone B 1 56 Promoted
1969-70 Serie B 20 29 Relegated
1968-69 Serie B 6 41  
1967-68 Serie B 17 36  
1966-67 Serie B 12 36  
1965-66 Serie B 5 44  
1964-65 Serie A 16 28 Relegated
1963-64 Serie A 8 30  
1962-63 Serie A 15 28  
1961-62 Serie B 1 54 Promoted
1960-61 Serie B 13 35  
1959-60 Serie A 18 18 Relegated
1958-59 Serie A 12 30  
1957-58 Serie A 13 30  
1956-57 Serie A 16 30  
1955-56 Serie A 10 33  
1954-55 Serie A 11 31  
1953-54 Serie A 12 28  
1952-53 Serie B 1 44 Promoted
1951-52 Serie B 5 42  
1950-51 Serie A 20 27 Relegated
1949-50 Serie A 12 34  
1948-49 Serie A 7 40  
1947-48 Serie A 13 37  
1946-47 Serie A 12 36  
1945-46 Serie A Alta Italia 12 19  
1943-45 - - - WWII
1942-43 Serie A 5 33  
1941-42 Serie A 4 37  
1940-41 Serie A 10 29  
1939-40 Serie A 5 33  
1938-39 Serie A 5 33  
1937-38 Serie A 3 38  
1936-37 Serie A 6 33  
1935-36 Serie A 11 28  
1934-35 Serie B Girone A 1 42 Promoted
1933-34 Serie A 17 24 Relegated
1932-33 Serie A 8 34  
1931-32 Serie A 11 30  
1930-31 Serie A 4 45  
1929-30 Serie A 2 48  
1928-29 Divisione Nazionale Girone B 4 39  
1927-28 Divisione Nazionale Girone A 2 17  
1926-27 Divisione Nazionale Girone A 4 9  
1925-26 Prima Divisione Girone B 3 28  
1924-25 Prima Divisione Lega Nord Girone A 1 30  
1923-24 Prima Divisione Lega Nord Girone A 1 33 9th league title
1922-23 Prima Divisione Lega Nord Girone B 1 39 8th league title
1921-22 Prima Categoria Lega Nord Girone B 1 37  
1920-21 Prima Categoria Sezione Ligure - -  
1919-20 Prima Categoria Sezione Ligure - -  
1915-19 - - - WWI
1914-15 Prima Categoria Sezione Piemontese-Ligure - - 7th league title
1913-14 Prima Categoria Sezione Piemontese-Ligure - -  
1912-13 Prima Categoria Sezione Ligure-Lombarda 19 - -  
1911-12 Prima Categoria 3 -  
1910-11 Prima Categoria Ligure-Lombarda-Piemontese 5 -  
1909-10 Semifinale Ligure-Piemontese - -  
1909 Campionato Federale 5 -  
1908 - - - Did not participate
1907 Eliminatorie Liguria - -  
1906 Girone Nazionali 3 -  
1905 Girone Nazionali 2 -  
1904 Prima Categoria Finali 1 - 6th league title
1903 Prima Categoria Finali 1 - 5th league title
1902 Campionato Italiano Finali 1 - 4th league title
1901 Campionato Italiano Finali 2 -  
1900 Campionato Italiano Finali 1 - 3rd league title
1899 Campionato Italiano Finali 1 - 2nd league title
1898 Campionato Italiano Finali 1 - 1st league title

Note 1. Between 1898 and 1921 the seasons was divided into several rounds.
Note 2. Two championships were played in 1909.

Serie A – facts, stats and history

References:
https://genoacfc.it/en/club/history/
http://www.totalfootballmag.com/features/world-football/genoa-an-englishmans-team-in-italy-since-1893/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genoa_C.F.C.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1909_Italian_Football_Championship
Image source:
Sconosciuta