On paper, Genoa's season has been a sensational one as Gian Piero Gasperini brought the club back the heights he reached in his original stint at the helm - something which is very rarely done. A sixth place finish should mean European qualification but Il Grifone's wonderful campaign will be tinged with disappointment after they were denied a Uefa License over some amateurish clerical errors. The Stadio Luigi Ferraris was deemed not up to standard for Uefa competition and the club failed to register a new ground for their home games. The painful irony is that they will now surrender their Europa League spot to bitter rivals Sampdoria who usually play at the Marassi themselves but managed to secure Sassuolo's Mapei Stadium in time should they qualify. It's a bitter pill to swallow for Genoa who were also denied a license due to financial issues - it's almost reminiscent of what happened to Parma at the end of last season and they hope they won't go the same way as the Ducali did after their disappointment. There doesn't seem to be that sense with Gasperini's side though. They have played some magnificent and exciting football throughout the season with the coach's stubborn insistence on an expansive 3-4-3 system. Andrea Bertolacci has been one of the consistent stars of the show in midfield. He has always been a scorer of spectacular goals but he also proved he could create this season providing for the likes of M'baye Niang and Leonardo Pavoletti who were both shrewd loan signings. They were also provided by exciting wide players such as Diego Perotti and Iago Falque who also could throw their names in the hat as candidates for player of the season. The question now for Genoa is can they keep hold of these newly formed stars? With Niang and Pavoletti set to return to their parent clubs and Perotti on the brink of being sold, it may turn out to be a tough summer for Gasperini. However, he has shown this season that he still has what it takes to make things happen at this club and he may still have a few aces up his sleeve.
