Gilardino, 42, had been Genoa head coach since December 2022, guiding the club back to Serie A with automatic promotion six months later and securing an 11th-place finish in the 2023-24 campaign.

One of their main problems has been the main striker, Alberto Gilardino or Filippo Inzaghi, becoming isolated from a deep midfield with only Kaka offering a bridge. The option of playing Ronaldo ...