10 April 1897 - Genoa's Genesis

On 10 April 1897, the Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club expanded into football, making them the oldest existing team in Italy.

At the time, the only other football teams were in Turin--Internazionale Torino and FCB Torinese. Genoa, founded in 1893 by British expatriates, initially devoted their attentions to cricket, considering football to be suitable only for the lower classes.

But in 1897, James Richardson Spensley (pictured), an English doctor and football enthusiast, persuaded the club to open a section devoted to football. He also served as the team manager.

The team was immediately successful, winning their first Italian championship in 1989, then winning five of the next six (losing out to Milan in 1901). Meanwhile, Internazionale Torino dissolved in 1900 and Torinese followed in 1906.

In all, Genoa have won a total of nine league titles, though the most recent was in 1924. They have also won an Italian Cup (1937) and, most recently, the Anglo-Italian Cup (1996).

17 March 1996 - I Suppose Now It's Just An Italian Cup

On 17 March 1996, Genoa won the last Anglo-Italian Cup, beating Port Vale 5-2. And the match wasn't as close as the score makes it seem.

Established in 1970, the tournament came and went in different phases until the 1996 edition, which was the competition's eighth and last year, with eight English teams and eight Italian teams participating. They were evenly divided into two groups, then played each team in their group from the other country (Genoa and Port Vale played to a scoreless draw in their group). In each group, the top two teams from each country then advanced to the knockout rounds, where the English played against the English and the Italians played against the Italians until one team from each country reached the final.

Playing at Wembley, Genoa cruised to a 3-0 lead with goals from Gennaro Ruotolo (12'), Fabio Galante (21'), and Vincenzo Montella (39'). After the break, Ruotolo struck twice more (54', 66') to extended the lead to 5-0. Port Vale got a late brace from Martin Foyle (68', 82') to close the gap to three, but that proved to be the final margin.

Genoa's win evened the overall tournament results to four for each country, as English teams won in 1970 (Swindon Town), 1971 (Blackpool), 1973 (Newcastle), and 1995 (Notts County), and Italian teams won in 1972 (Roma), 1993 (Cremonese), and 1994 (Brescia).

23 September 1919 - Better Late Than Never

On 23 September 1919, the Italian Football Association declared Genoa the champions of the top flight. For the 1914-15 season.

In the 1914-15 season, the Italian title was determined by a tournament that divided the country into a Northern bracket on one side and a Central and Southern bracket on the other. Genoa won their group in the Northern bracket qualification round, then won their semifinal group as well, to reach a final Northern group that included Torino, Inter, and Milan.

With one match left to play in the Northern final group, and Genoa leading by two points, the outbreak of World War I forced the cancellation of the competition. The Central and Southern bracket had not even reached the semifinal stage. Thus the league did not have an official winner for the 1914-15 season.

After the conclusion of the war, play resumed in 1919. Not wanting to leave the champions' seat vacant, the Italian Football Association awarded the 1915 title to Genoa based on their position before the suspension of the competition. It was the seventh overall title for the Rossoblu, who lost several players and club founder James Richardson Spensley to the conflict. They proceeded to claim additional titles in 1923 and 1924, but have won none since.

29 January 1995 - The Death Of Vincenzo Spagnolo

On 29 January 1995, 24-year old Genoa supporter Vincenzo Spagnolo was stabbed before a match against AC Milan. He died later that day while undergoing surgery.

According to reports, Spagnolo was on his way into Genoa's Stadio Luigi Ferraris when he and other Genoa supporters were attacked by a group of approximately 20 Milan ultras, who had traveled to the match in disguise, separate from other Milan supporter groups. The attack escalated into a massive brawl, with police using tear gas to subdue the combatants. Spagnolo, who received a stab wound to the stomach, was one of seven people sent to the hospital.

When word reached the teams at halftime, they decided not to continue with the match, which was scoreless. Italian authorities then canceled all national sporting events for the following weekend. The incident caused such sensitivities between Genoa and Milan that their visiting supporters were not allowed into each other's stadiums until 2010.

Witnesses identified Spagnolo's attacker as 19-year old Simone Barbaglia, an apprentice gardener from Milan.