Genoa bring Stephan El Shaarawy back to club where his career began

Genoa have signed Stephan El Shaarawy on a free transfer, bringing the Italy international back to the club where he started his professional career.

The 32-year-old forward left Roma at the end of last season after his contract with the club expired. Genoa have not disclosed the length of El Shaarawy’s new contract.

El Shaarawy began his senior career with Genoa before moving to Milan. His return to the club marks a reunion with the team that gave him his first opportunity as a professional and represents a return to the starting point of his career.

“Genoa was where I first experienced happiness as a professional, my first emotions, and returning to this shirt feels like coming home and returning to my family,” El Shaarawy said on the club’s website. “Genoa is part of my DNA.”

The forward spent last season with Roma, making 26 appearances and scoring one goal, while also providing three assists.

His overall record for Roma stands at 346 appearances, 65 goals and 50 assists. Roma are the club El Shaarawy has represented most often during his career.

El Shaarawy won the UEFA Europa Conference League with Roma in the 2021-22 season. His time at the club has therefore included both a long-term association and the biggest major honour of his career to date.

His departure from Roma followed the conclusion of his contract, allowing Genoa to complete the deal without paying a transfer fee. The club has confirmed the signing but has not announced how long the agreement will run.

The move takes El Shaarawy back to the club from which he emerged before continuing his career with Milan. He now returns to Genoa having built extensive experience at Roma, where he became a longstanding member of the squad and made more appearances than for any other side.

Genoa’s announcement completes the first stage of the forward’s return, with the club presenting the transfer as a homecoming for a player whose professional journey began in its colours. For El Shaarawy, the switch reunites him with the shirt and the club he associates with his earliest experiences in senior football.