The cultivated derby

One of the more curious derbies in Italy is the Genoa encounter between Genoa and Sampdoria. For many years the violence and crowd disorder so often attached to Italian league matches have been absent from this historic port city and its big local confrontation. However, it still produces an amazing atmosphere, even when the two teams meet each other in the second best division. Back in 2001 we visited Genoa to witness it.