Genoa president Enrico Preziosi has revealed how he and AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani had a bust-up over Andrea Bertolacci this summer.
Bertolacci spent last season with Genoa, who retained half of his transfer rights. They sold that share to Roma last month for €8.5 million before Milan, just a few days later, signed the player from the Giallorossi for a fee of €20m.
Galliani would have preferred Preziosi to have informed him first of negotiations with Roma, having ultimately spent more than expected for the 24-year-old midfielder.
"I had an argument with Galliani over Bertolacci," Preziosi is quoted as saying by Il Corriere dello Sport. "He felt betrayed because the player first left us for Roma. But if he wants, I will explain everything to him.
"If ours is a true friendship, then everything will sort itself out, otherwise it will mean it wasn't such a good friendship after all."
While Galliani may have felt betrayed by Preziosi, many Genoa fans feel their club's president has betrayed them by failing to obtain a licence to appear in Europe this season.
Il Grifone finished sixth in Serie A last season and would have been entering into the qualifying rounds of the Europa League, had they met a deadline to submit the necessary paperwork at the turn of the year.
At the time, they were a long way off the pace for a place in Europe and this may have caused the oversight which led to them submitting their application documents only when they started to close in on the top six, when it was already too late.
To rub salt into the wounds, it was Genoa's city rivals Sampdoria who benefitted by taking their place in the Europa League.
"Missing out on a UEFA licence has really hurt the fans and I want to apologise for it once again," Preziosi said. "It's left a mark. But let's not make a drama out of it. We've got to look to the future now.
"The fans can talk as much as they want but there are certain decisions which are not easy to explain. All I can say is that I am always trying to do my best.
"The same fans who are worried about us possibly selling [Diego] Perotti this summer are the same ones who just one year ago were criticising us for buying him.
"All I can say is that we are out of the woods and we are only able to get a licence to play in the league thanks to me, but it's now time for Genoa to become self-sufficient. As a president, I have to combine passion with rationality.
"All I can tell the fans is to be serene and relaxed, and enjoy your holidays. The coach [Gian Piero Gasperini] is serene and considering he's usually the first to moan, then this is a good start."