Genoa star happy to be back

Palladino, who is still co-owned by Juventus, has been out of action since May with a viral infection.

“I honestly surprised myself. I have suffered a lot, too much, and maybe it was the anger inside of me that enabled me to play so well,” he is quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“You have no idea what I went through: I spent four months doing nothing – the worst period of my life, especially for someone who can’t even take a break on Mondays, when the others rest.

“Then I heard whispers about me, malicious ones, and my desire was to put them to bed and get back. I was in Naples and my friends asked me when I’d come back. Here I am, and ironically the next match is against Juventus – a very special rival.”