Bologna Triumph in Coppa Italia To Claim First Major Trophy In 51 Years.
Bologna celebrated a historic victory at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, defeating AC Milan 1-0 to lift the Coppa Italia, their first major silverware in 51 years. The triumph, sealed by a solitary goal from Swiss international Dan Ndoye, also secures Bologna a coveted spot in next season’s Europa League.
Ndoye proved the hero, capitalising on a loose ball in the penalty area to fire a ferocious shot past Milan’s defence, igniting wild celebrations among the Bologna faithful. The victory marks a significant milestone for the club, who last tasted major success in this competition in 1974.
Led by Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson, Bologna delivered a commanding performance. The former Hamilton and Aberdeen star came close to opening the scoring in the first half, rifling a long-range effort just over the bar. Goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski also played a pivotal role, producing a stunning double save to deny Milan’s Luka Jovic and preserve Bologna’s clean sheet before the break.
Manager Vincenzo Italiano, who took the reins last summer following Thiago Motta’s departure to Juventus, savoured his first major honour after three final defeats in the past two seasons with Fiorentina. “We deserved this, especially as we played great tonight. It was a fantastic performance,” said the 47-year-old. “We’ve crowned an incredible year with the cup, which is what our fans deserved.”
Bologna’s victory breaks the stranglehold of Juventus, Inter Milan, Napoli, and Lazio, who had claimed every Coppa Italia since 2008. For AC Milan, the defeat extends their Coppa Italia drought to 22 years, with their last triumph coming in 2003. Sitting eighth in Serie A, Milan’s hopes of European qualification remain uncertain.
Milan boss Sergio Conceicao, under increasing scrutiny, reflected on the loss: “Right now, I have a lot of thoughts about the game and what went right or wrong. I’m trying to work out what more we could have done tonight. We’ll finish the season with dignity and talk about my future later.”
For Bologna, the night belonged to their players, staff, and supporters, who celebrated a long-awaited return to glory and a promising future on the European stage.