Italiano On Coppa Italia Win: Bologna, Italiano: “We Managed To Make History”

Bologna achieved a historic feat on Tuesday evening, securing a place in the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Atalanta. Manager Vincenzo Italiano, known for his prowess in knockout competitions, guided his team to this significant milestone.

Speaking to DAZN after the match, Italiano expressed his pride in the team’s accomplishment: “Today our focus was on this match. We knew it had been 26 years since Bologna reached the semi-finals. We sought it, we told ourselves we wanted to make history, and we succeeded. In the end, we were rewarded by Castro, who came on with an incredible mentality. We advance to the next round, and we’re happy.”

Addressing the timing of his substitutions, Italiano revealed his tactical approach: “I was ready, but I told the boys to wait and see Atalanta’s changes first, to understand what they might alter. As soon as we saw how they had positioned themselves, we decided to bring on Castro and the others. If you go on the field with this desire to make a difference, you can win matches.”

The manager attributed the team’s recent success to the squad’s professionalism and growth: “If something is made easy, it’s because there’s great professionalism. We work really well, and the group is starting to grow year after year. They have great availability, they’ve made me and my staff feel comfortable. After some initial difficulties, we’ve come out together, and we’re achieving very good results.”

Looking ahead to the possibility of reaching the final, Italiano shared his ambition: “Getting to the final again – after being there with Fiorentina – would be a fantastic experience. Now we wait for our semi-final opponent and we’ll prepare, because our goal now is to go further.”

Bologna now awaits the winner of the Juventus-Empoli quarter-final, scheduled for February 25th, to determine their semi-final opponent. 

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