Bologna back in business
The Rossoblu clambered back up after one season in Serie B, but Colin Millar notes the North American-backed club has to do better.
It may not have been pretty, but the history books will show that Bologna’s spell in Serie B was short-lived and promotion was achieved at the first attempt. But only just. The Rossoblu missed out on automatic promotion and their negotiation of the play-offs was a display of pragmatism, only progressing at the expense of Avellino and Pescara due to their superior league position as both ties ended level on aggregate.
Unlike fellow new boys Carpi and Frosinone,
the giant regional club based in one of Europe’s most historical cities are no strangers to Serie A – they’ve won the league title seven times, making them the country’s sixth most successful club.
In recent history Bologna have been blessed with some sublime talent, but the memories of Roberto Baggio and Giuseppe Signori seemed very distant over the past 18 months.
The sale of their modern day equivalent Alessandro Diamanti in February 2014 to Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande proved hugely controversial and three months later Bologna were relegated.
A lengthy takeover bid by North American duo Joe Tacopina and Joey Saputo was completed the following September, and they continued to ensure that Bologna were the wealthiest club in the second flight. Their wage bill dwarfed that of Carpi and Frosinone – who both outperformed them in the league – and
Bologna’s average attendance of just over 15,000 was almost double that of the two automatically promoted clubs combined.
Unsurprisingly, the Felsinei possessed a squad that many tipped for the title and unlike virtually every other side in the division, theirs was multinational – two Brazilians, an Argentine, a Uruguayan, a Greek, a Serbian, a Croat, an Austrian and a Senegalese player. Their relegation led to mass changes with left-back Archimede Morleo, Hungarian György Garics and former Italian youth international attacker Robert Acquafresca the only two long-term first team squad players remaining.
So much change took time to gel and led to a slightly dysfunctional side, but they remained right in the thick of the automatic promotion race until the final weeks when Frosinone pulled away
. Only when it became apparent that Bologna would need the playoffs did they dispose of Coach Diego Lopez, hired only the previous July, and r
eplaced him with the much travelled Delio Rossi to get them over the line.
In the regulation league season they managed a mere 49 goals in 42 matches (even relegated Brescia managed five more) and their success was built on a rigid, well-drilled defence – only champions Carpi conceded fewer.
They have already gone about strengthening their squad ahead of the return to the top level – they’ve made the deal for highly rated Senegalese defender Ibrahima Mbaye permanent from Inter, while fellow defender Luca Rossettini moves from Cagliari and young Luca Rizzo arrives on loan from Sampdoria.
Fans of the Rossoblu are hoping that their North American owners continue to reinvest, with a goalscorer and more creativity viewed as essential, so that they can once again become a permanent fixture in the top flight. The first step is completed, but for Bologna the challenge has only just begun.