Thiag-who? Life under Vicenzo Italiano at Bologna
Quietly going about their business.
Thiago Motta rightly got the plaudits last season for his work at Bologna. He had the Rossoblu playing some spectacular football, with the likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori being integral to their success in qualifying for the Champions League. But when all three of their key components departed, two to the Premier League and one to Juve (Merda), Serie A fans smelt trouble for the Emiglia-Romagna-based club.
Vicenzo Italiano left behind a good stint at Fiorentina. Two UEFA Conference League finals and some not-too-shabby finishes in the Lega, he was often linked with replacing Luciano Spalletti at Napoli and eventually tipped as the one to save them from the wreckage of a Rudi Garcia-Walter Mazzarri double-team. But it wasn’t Naples; it was Bologna, where Italiano joined. A move that raised question marks for the club. How will Italiano deal with them losing key players combined with more matches? A mixture that provides headaches for the club, that’s for sure.
Thiago Motta left Bologna as the most exciting manager on the market but since joining Juventus, he’s had a tough time. Draw after draw (one of them coming against this Bologna side), people question whether he’s the man for the Turin project. He’s also often compared to Allegri, with many fans questioning if they’ve improved in coach. You could spend ages breaking down the situation at Juventus but it’s counterproductive in this conversation. The reason I bring up Thiago Motta isn’t for the comparisons to Max Allegri, it’s to compare the situation of Motta’s Bologna from last season against Vicenzo Italiano’s current Bologna of this season.
Bologna currently sit in 7th place, with seven wins and two losses but Italiano started rocky, winning only one of his first eight games with many questioning whether or not he’s going to do well at Bologna. Since then, though, he’s steadied the ship and is currently showing why people rate him as a coach. With one loss in the league since then, which came at the hands of a very in-form Lazio side, Bologna are quietly going about their business, currently sitting three points behind Juventus and two points above Milan.
Rafaelle Palladino, Marco Baroni and Gian Piero Gasperini are rightly in the spotlight as managers this season. Their teams are spectacular, with Atalanta winning 11 in a row, Baroni’s Lazio becoming outside candidates for the Scudetto and Palladino elevating Fiorentina to their next level. But Vicenzo Italiano’s name is rarely mentioned in the same vein this season, which is arguably unjust.
He’s taken a Bologna side who lost their two best players and put them in contention for the European spaces, all whilst battling an increased fixture list thanks to their involvement in the Champions League. Players like Riccardo Orsolini, Santiago Castro and Dan Ndoye are proving key for Italiano’s team.
Italiano and Motta are incomparable as coaches, with two different styles of play. But for Italiano to take the project on despite the situation and begin to deliver he deserves huge plaudits. Is he underappreciated as a coach? I think so, despite me being fairly vocal that I didn’t want him at Napoli. It’ll be interesting to see how Bologna continue this season and whether or not Italiano can break into the top six spots. Time will tell.
A huge Merry Christmas from me to you. Buon Natale and remember - FORZA CALCIO!
Saturday, December 28th
Empoli vs Genoa
Parma vs Monza
Cagliari vs Inter
Lazio vs Atalanta
Sunday, December 29th
Udinese vs Torino
Napoli vs Venezia
Juventus vs Fiorentina
Milan vs RomaMonday, December 30th
Como vs Lecce
Bologna vs Verona*Serie B fixtures coming to the newsletter soon…*
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