The former president: “I cried for Serie B. When Gilardino was dismissed, without me knowing, I realized that my experience was over. Now I support De Rossi.”

“In my life, I have cultivated two great passions: medicine and Genoa. Not a day goes by without me thinking about Genoa. Professional football is the furthest thing possible from love for the jersey, yet during my presidency I had 30 more children.” Alberto Zangrillo has not been at the helm of his favorite team for almost a year, but he has not stopped being deeply in love with it and never will. It is an unbreakable bond that goes beyond the disappointment and suffering of recent times.

Zangrillo, how did you become a Genoa fan?

“As a kid in the 1970s, I used to go and watch training sessions in Sant’Olcese. In 1988, I was in Modena for the play-off that saved us from relegation to Serie C. That year, my first son, Andrea, was born, and he is the biggest Genoa fan I know. Yet Andrea has now lost the desire to go to the stadium.“

Was it the same for you?

”There is a lot of bitterness about what happened, but I am very understanding and I am not giving up on Genoa. I bought my season ticket online, even though the ticket office had been instructed not to sell it to me as I was not welcome at the club: my gesture had been interpreted as a provocation. When I go to the Ferraris stadium, the Genoa employees I meet lower their gaze so as not to be caught greeting me. I understand them and I forgive them. When I was still on the board, they took away my car pass and gave me tickets in the visitors’ section. These are all signs, aren’t they? I am very disappointed. It has been a wonderful three years in which I have been able to offer my way of being a president-fan, which is becoming increasingly rare. I leave defeated but proud to have helped create enthusiasm for bringing young people to the stadium.

Can you tell us what happened?

“In the spring of 2024, there was an irreparable rift with the club’s top management. I was in constant dialogue with those who continued to financially support Genoa, my contact was the banking advisor of A CAP. Then there was the capital increase, which I voted for in the interests of Genoa, only to learn later of an unexpected development that I had been kept in the dark about. I feel betrayed and disillusioned. In soccer, we have gone from family management to economic realities that are difficult to assess and that make promises. I myself have been the victim of promises that later proved to be unfounded. That’s the risk you run today; profit is the primary objective. The first and last time I entered a large hotel in Milan during the transfer market, I realized I had to get out as quickly as possible. It was an environment where unlikely characters felt like they owned the world. However, I am proud to have represented Genoa, earning respect and trust in institutional circles. I believe that the best could not have been done. I made the club feel heard in the corridors of power.“

Have you come up with an explanation for why it ended this way?

”I believe the cause is a deep dislike between me and CEO Andres Blazquez, as well as mutual distrust. But he mattered and I didn’t, I accept that. I remember a dinner four years ago at Diego Della Valle’s house in Milan. He loves me and didn’t understand why I was getting myself into trouble by accepting the presidency of Genoa. Remo Ruffini defended me because he knew I was happy. For two years, Remo helped Genoa without any return, only my gratitude.”

What was your relationship with the fans like?

“The best moment was when the Gradinata Nord dedicated a banner to me: ‘President, thank you for always being there’. It’s a simple but very powerful concept. They understood that I was always there for Genoa and that nothing could stop me, not even a serious cancer diagnosis in 2024, which I faced with unimaginable treatments, including cycles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Everyone knew about it, but from December 18, 2024, no one ever called me from Pegli. Only Mattia Bani, once he arrived in Palermo.“

Was relegation the most painful moment of your presidency?

”It was difficult to accept, but then Serie B was the best period. After the match against Napoli in May 2022, I saw only two people crying: Marco Rossi and me. But you could sense the possibility of a comeback. I felt it so strongly that I took personal responsibility for the slogan ‘Only One Year’ in Serie B. I apologized to the fans, promising that we would return to Serie A immediately. And so it was. The worst moment was the dismissal of Gilardino, who identified strongly with me. It happened without me knowing anything about it, and that’s when I realized that my time at Genoa was over.”

Is De Rossi the right man to save the team?

“I loved Gilardino, I appreciated him for his human qualities, and I didn’t have time to get to know Vieira because at that time it was better not to show my face. I believe that De Rossi has the best qualities in his DNA to manage Genoa. The players are good guys, the foundation is solid, and I’m rooting for him: he can revive the team if, as I think he will, he knows how to win the hearts of the players by listening only to himself.”

How do you see Genoa’s future?

“I don’t know, but it depends on one thing: the enthusiasm of the Genoa fans, who reward every effort if they feel the goal is achievable. ‘Only One Year’ is an example of this.”

What if one day they asked you to be president again?

“I feel I can say that it won’t happen, and I don’t want it to happen. If it did, I would say no because I also suffered a lot. I experienced malice without any kind of respect. That’s not how I would make peace with my heart. I gave everything, it would be stupid to do it again, and it wouldn’t be understood.”