'Eat sh*t!' - Furious Torino fans dump heap of manure outside training ground in protest

Videos emerged on social media of a vehicle arriving at the training ground, men jumping out and shovelling what local media described as "manure" into a pile at the entrance. The calculated move was a direct attack on the man at the very top of the club's pyramid. Above the pile of manure was a banner which translated to "Eat sh*t, Cairo" – a statement aimed at owner Urbano Cairo. The 68-year-old, who has been at the helm for over two decades, is now facing his darkest hour as president.

The timing of the demonstration is no coincidence, following a weekend that saw the team crumble on the pitch. Torino are 15th in Serie A, three points above the relegation zone, a position that has left the faithful at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino fearing for their top-flight status. The lack of investment and the perceived mismanagement of the sporting project have long been sticking points for the ultras, but the recent slide towards the bottom three has finally seen the situation boil over into physical, albeit unconventional, protest.

The final straw for many was Sunday's embarrassing performance on the road. They lost 3-0 at 14th-placed Genoa on Sunday. Arsenal academy graduate Brooke Norton-Cuffy and former Leeds United striker Caleb Ekuban were on the scoresheet, while Torino had Emirhan Ilkhan sent off. Losing to a direct rival in such a comprehensive manner served as a wake-up call for the fanbase, who clearly feel that the current trajectory of the club is unsustainable and heading towards a return to the second tier.

Desperate times have led to desperate measures in the dugout and the boardroom as Cairo attempts to stop the rot. Marco Baroni was sacked as Torino manager after their latest humbling and replaced by Roberto D'Aversa. This managerial change is just the latest in a series of upheavals designed to spark a reaction from a squad that looks short on confidence and identity. D’Aversa now faces the unenviable task of motivating a group of players who are working under the cloud of intense supporter hostility.

The coaching staff isn't the only area to see major changes in recent months as the club searches for a winning formula. Davide Vagnati was sacked as sporting director in December and replaced by Gianluca Petrachi, who was returning for another stint with the club. While the return of Petrachi was intended to bring a sense of stability and historical connection back to the club's recruitment strategy, the results on the pitch have failed to improve, leading fans to look past the employees and target the man signing the cheques.

Despite the current vitriol, the relationship between Cairo and the fans has not always been this fractured. Cairo, 68, has owned Torino for 21 years and has led them back to Italy's top flight from the lower divisions. His tenure initially brought a sense of hope and solvency to a club that had faced significant financial distress in the past. However, the goodwill built up during those early years has largely evaporated as supporters demand more than just top-flight survival and middling finishes.

But now with his team struggling and hovering above the drop zone, sections of the fanbase have made their feelings clear with a telling gift left at the training ground entrance. It seems the frustrated fans who visited the training ground on Tuesday want to air their grievances with the owner and president. Whether this "sh*tty" protest will force a change in Cairo’s approach or hasten his exit remains to be seen, but the message from the Torino faithful is loud, clear, and incredibly hard to ignore.