New Genoa Coach Davide Ballardini wants “passion and fire” from his players in the relegation showdown with Crotone.
It kicks off on Sunday at 11.30 GMT, click here for a match preview.
This will be the tactician’s debut after taking over from Ivan Juric and the Grifone are in dire straits, in the bottom three with only six points.
New Genoa Coach Davide Ballardini wants “passion and fire” from his players in the relegation showdown with Crotone.
It kicks off on Sunday at 11.30 GMT, click here for a match preview.
This will be the tactician’s debut after taking over from Ivan Juric and the Grifone are in dire straits, in the bottom three with only six points.
“The first two weeks have seen great effort from the lads and that is positive, but the situation is difficult, so we need to step it up,” said Ballardini in his Press conference.
This is his first different caretaker spell on the Genoa bench, having previously saved the club from relegation twice.
“I know the people here and am fortunate to have top level folks around me at Genoa. Having said all that, what really counts is what happens on the pitch.
“This is a very difficult clash with Crotone, but also very intriguing, because we are playing against a side that knows what to do and recently beat Fiorentina. Crotone are a team unit who are very clear in their identity and have good players.
“In our squad, I see the desire to get ourselves out of this situation. We must all put in that healthy degree of determination and anger to shake things up, because the status quo is no good.
“This is a game we must play well with head, heart and ideas. On top of all that, we need to use our technical and physical characteristics. We first of all seek unity, balance, reason, heart and quality.”
Juric had dropped Andrea Bertolacci, but Ballardini welcomes the former Milan midfielder back to the fold.
“In my view, Bertolacci can be a reference point for any team. He must prove it, but not with the quality we all know, rather with the passion and fire. That doesn’t just go for him, but for everyone.”
Genoa squad for Crotone: Perin, Spolli, Gentiletti, Cofie, Izzo, Bertolacci, Centurion, Lapadula, Taarabt, Rossettini, Biraschi, Galabinov, Palladino, Pandev, Rosi, Lazovic, Lamanna, Ricci, Rigoni, Zima, Omeonga, Veloso, Pellegri, Zukanovic, Laxalt