Bologna: Italiano coaches from hospital, team chase UCL gift in Bucharest | OneFootball

Bologna is playing for him too. Struck by pneumonia and hospitalized at Sant’Orsola-Malpighi in Bologna, Vincenzo Italiano will not be able to be physically present on the bench for the delicate Europa League match against FCSB (Steaua Bucharest).

Bologna, Italiano in hospital but “on the bench” remotely: his team in Bucharest to give him a gift

But the rossoblù coach will not leave his players alone: he will be connected remotely, ready to give instructions and experience every moment of the match together with the team.

The club has confirmed: in recent hours, several technical tests have been carried out to ensure a real-time connection between the hospital and the staff present in Bucharest. The goal is to allow Italiano to follow the match minute by minute, sending suggestions and analyzing tactical moves.

Niccolini: “He’s feeling better, but his voice will be missed”

Leading the team from the bench will be Daniel Niccolini, Italiano’s long-time assistant, who has already stepped in twice in the past—once with Fiorentina and once with Bologna—both matches ending in a draw.

“He’s a little better,” Niccolini said on the eve of the match, “he’s taking antibiotics and we’re monitoring his health day by day.”

The assistant does not hide his emotion for such a unique debut: “I’m very emotional, but above all proud. In this emergency, my job is to support the team and show continuity in the coach’s work. We are a united group, one voice and one goal. Vincenzo guides us even from a distance, sharing every decision, even about training.”

Regarding the match against Steaua, Niccolini is clear: “It’s a match we cannot afford to lose. In such a short group stage, you have to get points everywhere, and we want to do it also for our coach.”

Skorupski: “We will win for the coach, we want to give him a gift”

Goalkeeper and leader Lukasz Skorupski is the first to rally the team. The emotion of the situation recalls the difficult times of the Mihajlovic era, when the team rallied around the Serbian coach during his illness.

“We’ve already experienced a situation like this,” Skorupski explained. “It’s not easy when your coach isn’t well. In these moments, those who have been through it before have to help the others. We want to win for him, it’s our way of giving him a gift.”

Then a personal note about the future: “I’ve been in Bologna since 2018 and I’m very happy. I’d like to end my career here, maybe extending beyond 2027. Becoming a club legend is a dream: today there are few players who stay with a team for so long.”

Bologna seeks a European breakthrough

With only one point after two Europa League matches, Bologna is called to react immediately. The match in Bucharest represents a crucial stage for the club’s ambitions and for the morale of the group, which wants to turn this difficult moment into an opportunity for strength and unity.

In the stands there will be about 3,000 rossoblù fans, including mayor Matteo Lepore, a testament to the city’s strong attachment to the team.

The opponent: a Steaua in crisis and under fire from fans

FCSB (Steaua Bucharest) is going through a tough period. The team, currently twelfth in the Romanian league, is in full crisis: the fans have harshly criticized coach Elias Charalambous and have turned against former rossoblù Alibec, seen as a symbol of the group’s struggles.

Charalambous, however, is not giving up: “Things have been said that are too harsh. My players want to redeem themselves and find balance. We have experience and we know how to react in difficult moments. We must win for our fans.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.