Bologna’s Marco Di Vaio: “We would have preferred to avoid Roma.” | OneFootball

Roma and Bologna will meet in the Europa League round of 16 in an all-Italian derby.

The first leg will be played on March 12 at the Dall’Ara, a week after the second leg at the Olimpico.

Marco Di Vaio, representing the Emilian club, was present at the draw in Nyon alongside Frederic Massara.

The Bologna executive commented on the double-header: “Roma is a great team. The match will have less of a European feel than an international match.”

“Playing a derby in Europe is different; perhaps we would have preferred to avoid it, also from an emotional standpoint. But we know it will still be a great match.”

Regarding Bologna’s form, Di Vaio added: “We’re improving after a difficult period, and this gives us confidence for the end of the season. We care deeply about Europe; it can also be a significant boost for the team’s growth. So far, we’ve only lost to Aston Villa. We played the playoffs well, in a group that was anything but easy.”

Regarding Roma, he said: “We’re facing one of the strongest teams in Italy. They’ve found the striker they were missing. But we’ll face them with our heads held high.”