Orsolini: “Not being part of the Azzurri? I’ve reached a Zen phase”

Bologna’s star attacker Riccardo Orsolini recently opened up about his career, his current form, and his aspirations in an  interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. The 26-year-old, who has been with Bologna since 2018, has become a key figure for the club, especially in their surprising Champions League campaign this season.

Orsolini, known for his jovial personality, explained his new goal celebration: “I celebrated with a Joker face, forcibly widening my smile, because I saw too many gloomy faces. Come on, have a laugh, everything gets better…”

Reflecting on Bologna’s current form, Orsolini stated, “If I had to complete that phrase today, I’d say: Don’t you understand? Bologna is coming back. We’re returning because today we’re more solid. Confident. And in the end, apart from the period of acute draw-itis, we’ve lost one game, just one: against Napoli…”

When asked about the team’s spirit, he emphasized the importance of joy and camaraderie: “The spirit. The joy of being together and playing. Friendship, the group, the smile. And we enjoy playing together.”

Addressing his absence from the national team, Orsolini showed a mature perspective: “I’ve already said that Spalletti’s new formation penalizes us wingers a bit. You shouldn’t ask me why Italy doesn’t call. I aim for it, always. It’s a goal, but not a crux. I’ve reached a Zen phase: after the Euros, I told myself that I would never again suffer from a football disappointment.”

Orsolini also spoke highly of his current coach, Vincenzo Italiano: “Italiano is a straightforward, genuine coach. He and I have talked a lot, he’s conveyed to me the perception people have of me outside Bologna, the strength that maybe I sometimes don’t perceive. He’s given me a different awareness, I feel even more important for the group, special.”

On his journey with different coaches, Orsolini reflected: “With Sinisa, I even argued: he forged me by making me understand I could stay in Serie A. Motta molded me, and now with Italiano, I hope to become a certainty, a point of reference.”

Looking at the current season, Orsolini sees it as a reward for past struggles: “This season is the reward for all the sh*t we’ve eaten in the past, it’s a reward for the city, the club, for those who work there, the fans, us. I want that, win or lose and always after giving everything, we and the people who follow us at the end of the match always see each other under the curve to applaud each other.”

Finally, on Bologna’s Champions League adventure, Orsolini expressed both pride and ambition: “In the Champions League, we’re giving our blood, learning different moments and rhythms. If last year we dreamed of playing in the Champions League, well, now we’re enjoying it and venting the lessons learned in Serie A, because that’s where you have to take back Europe. And we want to keep it. What are we missing? A win in the Champions League: it would give us an extra boost, awareness, and one more smile.”

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