Bologna: Motta gives the captain’s armband on rotation

Forget about pre-established orders and defined hierarchies. Old stuff. To find out who the captain of Bologna is (was), you need to count from one to five. And to find out who will be next tomorrow in Monza-Bologna, we will have to wait for the lineups to be official. Or previews. Thiago Motta, this year in a more marked way, has launched the “turnover” of the wing. Not on the lanes of the field but on his arm. Five matches and five different captains: Dominguez (later sold), Orsolini, Posch, De Silvestri, Aebischer were the graduates of this start of the championship. It’s a question of merit. From time to time. In practice: the band can be for many but only for those who earn it in the training sessions of the week. Not for all. Uniqueness. Meritocracy in power.

open applications

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Having taken over from Sinisa Mihajlovic just over a year ago, Thiago Motta in the past season essentially maintained the hierarchies established by his predecessor and the dressing room, therefore Soriano and De Silvestri as vice. But over the course of the year he changed several times: giving it not to everyone but to those he deemed worthy. It’s a new way of conceiving the locker room hierarchy. “It will be the players – said the Bologna coach three weeks ago – who will earn this great responsibility with work and from time to time.” In practice: it is not by extraction or for each one at a time. It is the prize for those who demonstrate aptitude, attachment, the right “race” and leadership potential. It’s an Oscar reserved for the best screenplay seen in training. So far it has rewarded 5 different items. And applications are open.

no to a permanent job

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The sequence started with Nicolas Dominguez in Bologna-Milan: it was the last attempt to convince the Argentine to feel central and enthralling in the Bologna team. Nico had already been awarded the armband at the end of last season, but he left for Nottingham Forest and that evening at the Dall’Ara, before the championship, it was the last dance of the midfielder who Motta had put on the Untouchables list (with Schouten, who was also sold). In the summer retreat in Valles, Thiago had secluded himself with Dominguez and Lucumi. He had explained that they would be the cornerstones, the leaders, the drivers. One is gone, the other took the armband at the end last year but not this year. Motta gives, field and touchline, to whoever he deserves. The example must come from those who gave an enthralling tone this week. No permanent position.

Is it Zirkzee’s turn?

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Now that Posch (first degree injury to the right hamstring: 25 days out) and Lucumi (KO to be re-evaluated) will be out for a while due to injury, here comes the quiz on the next captain: will it be the sixth different one out of six or not ? After Dominguez, Motta gave the armband to Riccardo Orsolini in the second match of the championship against Juve. Done deal? Nope. Before the match against Cagliari, Thiago was very clear: “Against Cagliari the captain will be Stefan (Posch, ed.)”. Declared. In the fourth, Motta started De Silvestri on the right: captain. And on Sunday, against Napoli, he chose Aebischer, a multitasking Swiss who Motta defined as “a very intelligent player who knows how to understand and intuit things first”. Ah, one thing seems certain: Motta is not for the captain’s armband over the goalkeeper, not due to personal preconceptions or lack of commitment but due to the fact that he prefers an outfield player, inside the pitch. The quiz for the sixth seal is already in gestation: will it still be Aebicher or has the first candidate become Joshua Zirkzee, who the day before yesterday Motta defined as the symbol of today’s Bologna”?