Bologna in the Europa League, Italian: “Gift for my birthday against Celta”

Forty-eight years today: lived going up, in an elevator with the arrow always pointing upwards, from Serie C to the victory of the Italian Cup up to the desire to attack as soon as possible the passage of the round in this Europa League in which his Bologna, by winning, would cling to the quota of 11, more or less among the Elect sitting in the top eight (for now). Easy? Certainly not, also because Celta comes from the victory at Real Madrid: they discovered the flaws and overturned the certainties of the Casa Blanca. Vincenzo Italiano – as a precaution considering the pneumonia, even if it has now passed – still wears the mask. Tour the pitch during the team’s so-called “walk” the day before the match, observe Celta’s new stadium, the Balaidos, a little gem that is missing a curve but is already beautiful. And think out loud. “I asked the boys for a birthday present, that is to leave here with their heads held high. Then it’s clear that I would accept the victory as a gift… After a complicated start we started to score points and we face the most qualitative team together with Aston Villa. They beat Real Madrid, I’m confident. It will be very tough, but we have prepared and will try to add points to the table. We must try to play well and the boys who will be on the pitch will do everything they can to give their all. Our objective is clear: to go to the round of 16, taking us what we didn’t manage to do last year in the Champions League.”

defense and bear alarm

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There is a “but” in all this. Defensively, the team is in pieces. A real Caporetto. “We have this emergency in defence, there are problems – continues Italiano -. Lucumì has this tendon discomfort, we’ll see tomorrow but in finishing he slowed down at a certain point, Casale and Vitik are injured, Heggem is working overtime and did the finishing while walking because if he breaks me too… Who could play the central role? Lykogiannis, also due to the fact that he is left-footed. The boys have great intelligence and maturity, whoever is in that area will have a great match. Bernardeschi and Orsolini together?”

Istanbul

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Together with the coach, here is Juan Miranda, a Spaniard who goes like a train. “Celta have been doing very well recently – says the left winger -, the victory at home against Real Madrid is proof of this: they have a great coach, they play well individually and tactically, it will be a tough match but we want to try to get the three points. The final in Istanbul? Everyone would dream of it, but we have to think match by match”.