And his game, he will climb the stairs of the Allianz Stadium for the first time and maybe he will think that it could have gone differently. Mimmo Criscito , captain of Genoa, faces Juventus at 6 pm, the team that seduced him by bringing him to the Primavera in 2004 and then abandoning him a few years later. Today he defends the rossoblu colors, with the return to the bench of Ivan Juric after the surprise dismissal of Davide Ballardini . The Genoa defender confided in an interview with the Corriere di Torino:
After seven years abroad, in Zenit St. Petersburg, it will be a pleasure for me to find many players and managers with whom I have remained in contact. Then, facing the seven-time Italian champions will be very fascinating. In order not to lose, a half miracle will be needed Criscito
‘s career had a crossroads on 23 September 2007. The full-back born in ’86, originally from Cercola, is still 20 years old. He has already started his ballet between Genoa and Turin, with Capello ‘s Juve he also earns a call-up to the Champions League. Then in 2006 he returned to the Lanterna under the orders of Gasperini in B. A season as a protagonist, in which he also faces the bianconeri after Calciopoli. Juventus calls him back in the year of his return to Serie A, Claudio Rani was on the bench . In the first three days of the championship, with two victories and one defeat, Criscito is the regular holder. In defense, next to him, there are Chiellini, Jorge Andrade, Birindelli and Zebina . But it is the current Juventus captain who plays the full-back, the central defender and the young Domenico.
We go to Rome , fourth day. The Giallorossi, coached by Spalletti , play with Totti false nueve surrounded by Perrotta, Mancini and Taddei . Criscito ‘s afternoonand nightmare. The pupone scores a brace in the first half after Trezeguet’s advantage. On both goals the Juventus central (in the blue jersey) is guilty late. Complicating Ranieri’s plans is Jorge Andrade ‘s very serious injury which, in essence, ends his Juventus experience. But that afternoon Criscito ‘s Juventus career also turned towards a point of no return. At the end of the first half Ranieri replaces him with Legrottaglie . Juve drew 2-2 at the last minute with a goal from Iaquinta from Chiellini’s throw-in. The latter, after this match, will start playing more in the center and less on the wing, as he had started in the youth teams.
After a few months, in January Mimmo returns to his Genoa. He will return to what he once was, as a left-back in Gasperini’s Genoa. In 2011 the call to St. Petersburg with Zenit , where he meets Spalletti who in September 2007 was coaching Roma. He stays in Russia for 7 years, the last as captain, then last summer the prodigal son returns to the Rossoblu. Here too he captains, but at the Allianz Stadium he could have gone differently. Maybe he doesn’t cross Chiellini at the start of the match , who should be on the bench in the turnover wanted by Allegri . But there is no doubt that Mimmo Criscitoclimbing those stairs, he will think of what could have been and was not. No regrets, Genoa has become his Juventus.
Mimmo Criscito, today captain of Genoa
