Genoa 1 - 4 Siena - Fans disrupt Siena victory

Posted Sunday, April 22, 2012 by PA

Genoa's 4-1 loss to Siena was suspended for 45 minutes after a fan disturbance that saw the home players intimidated in the middle of the pitch and forced to remove their shirts by angry supporters.

The game eventually restarted after goalkeeper Giuseppe Sculli's emotional intervention, with Siena resuming 4-0 in front and going on to secure an important three points in their battle against relegation.

A week after the death of Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini on the field in Pescara, a group of home fans threatened a game's abandonment for totally different reasons.

When the hosts conceded a fourth goal early in the second half, a large group of their fans accumulated around the tunnel area and threatened to invade the pitch.

Genoa's players were kept out on the pitch as the group demanded they give up their shirts, with captain Marco Rossi gathering jerseys from all but Sculli, who tearfully confronted the supporters.

The fans retreated from the tunnel following his show of passion and allowed the game to continue, and they were belatedly given something to cheer when Cristiano Del Grosso put through his own goal.

Franco Brienza was on target twice for Siena, with Mattia Destro - on loan from Genoa - and Luigi Giorgi also scoring to take Giuseppe Sannino's side seven points clear of the bottom three.

Given Lecce's draw at Lazio, Genoa now find themselves just a single point above the drop zone as they remain without a win since February 5.

There did not seem to be much indication of what was to come when Cesare Bovo sent a free-kick just over the crossbar and Davide Biondini's volley went just wide.

But Genoa then collapsed with Siena taking control.

Brienza gave them the lead in the 17th minute with a free-kick which Genoa goalkeeper Sebastien Frey did not even move for as it flew into the far corner of his goal.

Just a minute later, Destro headed a free-kick from the other side of the field into the top corner before raising his arms apologetically to the home fans.

The third goal came in the 37th minute, again from Brienza, who teed the ball up on the edge of the penalty area and swept it into the bottom corner on the volley.

Brienza volleyed over the crossbar in the 39th minute as Siena threatened a fourth before the break.

It came shortly after the interval with Giorgi curling a shot into the far corner.

That proved to be the final straw for the group of Genoa fans, who left their usual place behind the goal and made their way towards the tunnel, from where they sent fireworks onto the field.

The game was halted by referee Paolo Tagliavento and after a break of 20 minutes, the match officials and the Siena team left the field with the furious fans applauding them, but not letting the Genoa players approach.

Rossi spoke with the group, who demanded the Genoa players took off their shirts before leaving the field.

After several more minutes, Rossi went round and collected his team mates' shirts, but Sculli refused to take his off and, with tears in his eyes, made it clear he would not cave in to the supporters' demands.

They eventually backed down and Rossi redistributed the shirts to his team-mates to allow the match to continue.

The protests turned more peaceful as both sides looked to play down the clock following the restart, with many fans turning their backs to the field.

They missed a goal for their side as Del Grosso turned Rodrigo Palacio's cross past his own goalkeeper in the 79th minute, but it was a scant consolation on an unsavoury day.