Soccer-Genoa's new coach unlikely to field mooted 2-7-2 formation

Genoa's new coach Thiago Motta has played down suggestions that he will throw convention out of the window and field an adventurous new formation with his new club. Motta, appointed for his first senior coaching role, told Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview last November that he wanted to revolutionise the sport by playing a 2-7-2 formation, in which the goalkeeper would count as one of the midfielders.

"For me, the attacker is the first defender and the goalkeeper is the first attacker. The goalkeeper starts the play, with his feet, and the attackers are the first to put pressure to recover the ball," he said at the time. However, on his official presentation on Wednesday, Motta told reporters: "That was just my way of trying to say that numbers are not so important in football."

Motta, previously coach of Paris St Germain's under-19 team, has replaced Aurelio Andreazzoli who was dismissed after nine games in charge. Genoa, who narrowly escaped relegation last season, are 19th in the 20-team table with only neighbours Sampdoria below them. (Writing by Brian Homewood Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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