Yet, Italiano has embraced the challenge, leading his team to sixth place with 47 points and 12 wins so far this season. The latest triumph, a 2-1 comeback victory over Cagliari, showcased both Bologna’s resilience and Italiano’s tactical acumen.
Cagliari had taken the lead through Roberto Piccoli, but within ten minutes, Riccardo Orsolini turned the game around, first equalizing and then scoring the winner. It was a crucial moment for Orsolini, one of Bologna’s standout players in recent years, who had struggled to make an impact this season as both he and the club had hoped.
This victory, far from a foregone conclusion, is yet another testament to the outstanding work Italiano has done, a coach as talented as he is (unfairly) underrated. His results speak for themselves, not just this season but throughout his career. In every club he has managed, he has exceeded expectations, delivering more than what was initially demanded of him.
Year after year, he has guided his teams to finals and semifinals that few, if any, anticipated. Yet, among casual fans, those who follow football in a more superficial way and only watch finals (probably), he remains unfairly judged for the finals he lost with Fiorentina. However, simply reaching those finals was already a remarkable achievement.
For certain clubs, winning trophies is the only thing that matters; anything less is seen as failure. But for teams unaccustomed to competing for European or domestic honors, even making it to a final is a milestone. No one asked Italiano to lead Fiorentina to three finals, yet he did. He may not have won them, but the accomplishment remains significant.
Now in Bologna, he faces a new challenge: continuing the club’s upward trajectory despite losing key players like Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee, both instrumental last season. Despite these setbacks, Bologna remains firmly in the race for European qualification.
Even with a squad that is arguably weaker than last year’s and the added burden of European competition, he has once again taken his team to the Coppa Italia semifinals, where they will face Empoli with a chance to reach another final. Once again, Italiano is proving that he belongs among the best coaches in Serie A. Sooner or later, everyone will have to acknowledge his quality. For now, he is being appreciated by the fans of the clubs he manages.
At this moment, it’s Bologna. But by the end of the season, who knows? A coach of his caliber is capable of leading any team in Serie A. Roma, for example, will probably need to appoint a new coach: he could be the perfect name. Actually Inter, Napoli and Milan could be interested in him: Italiano is ready.