Bologna Football Club is about to go where no club soccer team has gone before! They are making it to the Coppa Italia final for the first time since their 1974 win. The eventual finalists booked their place after beating Empoli 2-1 in the second leg of the semi-final. With this victory, they completed a comfortable 5-1 aggregate triumph. The all-Italian final will be played at the Stadio Olimpico on May 14.
In that final game against Empoli, Bologna waste little time taking the lead. It only took Giovanni Fabbian seven minutes to open the scoring! As Bologna continued to hold the upper hand, Thijs Dallinga put the icing on the cake with a third goal four minutes from full-time. With a four goal advantage, Bologna went into the second leg on cloud nine. They departed Empoli with the daunting task of coming back from a three-goal hole.
A Historic Opportunity for Bologna
Fiorentina head coach Vincenzo Italiano couldn’t be happier to have reached the final. In stories like his, we’re reminded what a big deal this accomplishment has been for the club and its fans. In a statement to Mediaset, he remarked on the momentous nature of reaching the Coppa Italia final:
“It was a goal, the dream of this city and the club: we have honoured this competition from the start, and when you reach the final stretch, everyone wants to go all the way.”
This victory is a significant turning point for Bologna. They haven’t been to the final of this often ignored, but very important competition in more than half a century! The remarkable story of the team’s journey has received plenty of national attention. The most important thing will be to see how they fare against such strong opposition as Saturday’s foe AC Milan.
Looking Ahead to the Final
As Bologna having done their homework on their upcoming meeting with Milan, Italiano expecting his team would be in a good position. He underlined their confidence and their state of preparedness as they head into Thursday night’s clash in Rome.
“Our self-esteem is already sky-high, and we know we’re facing a team of champions, but we’ll try to use our strengths. We can’t wait to get to Rome, and we hope to have those 30,000 fans at the Olimpico,” Italiano stated.
Excitement continues to grow among fans as they look toward the final. Their dreams will be of Bologna claiming their first Coppa Italia crown since 1974. The club’s management is hoping for a big crowd. They want to be welcomed by 30,000 supporters in the Olimpico that will push them forward!
Dedication to Supporters
Fiorentina’s Vincenzo Italiano paused to appreciate the vociferous support of Bologna’s fan-base. He dedicated the soon-to-be-played final to the citizens of Bologna, acknowledging their importance to the team’s success.
“We dedicate this final to the people of Bologna, who support us tremendously,” he said.
As you can imagine, Bologna has been preparing for this momentous celebration. With their ambitions, they hold the hopes of a region that has waited decades for the chance to finally get to this point. I know they’re ready and looking forward to a thrilling matchup with AC Milan. Their intent is to win the prized golden shovel and take it home!
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