Genoa announced on Monday that they have sacked coach Rolando Maran following their 0-2 loss to Benevento and replaced him with the returning Davide Ballardini. The ex-Cagliari gaffer was appointed last August substituting Davide Nicola, but his side has struggled so far, winning just once in 13 matches, in the opener against Crotone, and losing 8 times already. They sit in penultimate position in the standings.
Maran was given some more rope than usual because of an early COVID outbreak, but rumors about the sacking had already emerged last week, only to be delayed by a positive result versus Milan, where the Grifone came close to an upset win but got pipped at the post.
Davide Ballardini, who has agreed to a contract until the end of the season with an option if he manages to avoid relegation, is at his fourth stint with the team. He previously coached here in 2010-11, 2013 and 2017-18. He managed to save the team in three separate occasions despite taking over in desperate situations at times.
Our view
The tie with the Rossoneri turned out to be a fluke, as Genoa capitulated too easily against Benevento, so the change was well-warranted. The Rossoblu will look for an immediate spark in Wednesday’s tilt against Spezia. Despite their position in the standings, Genoa do have some quality in the roster, especially up front, and should be able to pull off Ballardini’s beloved 4-3-1-2 formation with ease.