Bologna winning project ‘started with Mihajlovic’ through to Italiano | OneFootball

Bologna are once again challenging for Champions League places after winning the Coppa Italia, as directors insist ‘it started with Sinisa Mihajlovic’ moving through Thiago Motta and Vincenzo Italiano.

The Rossoblu have been under the guidance of President Joey Saputo since 2017 and built remarkable progress, culminating in victory over AC Milan in the Coppa Italia Final last season, ending a 51-year trophy drought.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – OCTOBER 05: Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna FC 1909, looks on prior to the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Pisa SC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on October 05, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“There are eras in sport and ours started with the arrival of Mihajlovic,” general manager Claudio Fenucci told Sky Sport Italia.

“That is when the results began to come in and we increased the investments too. When Giovanni Sartori came in 2022 and built his staff, players arrived who allowed the project to grow, making the most of the work from Thiago Motta and then Italiano.

“It is pleasing to be competitive in Serie A and Europe, we are in positions that Bologna were not accustomed to.”

Mihajlovic took over the Bologna job in January 2019 and was fired in September 2022, just three months before his death from leukaemia, an illness he had battled for long spells during his tenure.

Bologna going from strength to strength

ROME, ITALY – MAY 14: Lewis Ferguson, Lorenzo De Silvestri and Riccardo Orsolini of Bologna lift the Coppa Italia trophy as their team mates celebrate after the team’s victory in the Coppa Italia Final match between AC Milan and Bologna at Stadio Olimpico on May 14, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Thiago Motta took them to fifth place in Serie A and Champions League qualification, while Italiano won the Coppa Italia last term.

Their victory over Napoli at the weekend consolidated their status as a team to be reckoned with.

“Italiano brought his vision of football, a very intense and attacking style, modern and European. His talent was being able to get a team that had done well to accept his changes,” continued Fenucci.

“The coach and his staff are improving the players, which is one of our strengths, because Bologna cannot afford to buy players already at their peak.”

Although they are doing well in the Europa League and Serie A, it is also a major challenge to keep up this kind of momentum.

“We are accustomed to viewing the situation with realism. We won’t make predictions on seasonal targets, but let’s just say that we would gladly write bonuses into player contracts for results. If we think about all that we can have in the future, we might get distracted from the present. We want to keep the enthusiasm going in the city, one game at a time.”