Bologna on Wednesday ended a 51-year wait for a major trophy after winning the Coppa Italia with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan, who slumped to yet another painful defeat in a horror season.
Dan Ndoye scored the goal in the 53rd minute, giving Bologna a historic victory, their first honor since last winning the cup in 1974.
Bologna had not even been in a major tournament final since last winning the Italian Cup — the second of their two domestic cup triumphs.
Photo: AFP
However, coach Vincenzo Italiano has a done a brilliant job since arriving to replace Thiago Motta at Bologna, who have won the Italian championship seven times, but last did so in 1964.
“It was a tough match, but we won it for us, for the city and for the fans,” Ndoye told broadcaster Mediaset. “We did everything right, we scored at the right moment and the worked like a true team.”
Wednesday’s victory was also Italiano’s first major honor as a coach, as he lost three finals with his previous club ACF Fiorentina, including the 2023 Coppa Italia final.
Italiano was held aloft by his jubilant players as Bologna fans danced and cried in the Stadio Olimpico stands after seeing what many thought they would never see.
“We deserved this, especially as we played great tonight. It was a fantastic performance,” Italiano said. “We’ve crowned an incredible year with the cup, which is what our fans deserved.”
Milan were crowned European champions the same season they last won the cup in 2003, a different time for a club once owned by deceased former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
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