‘We deserve this’ – Bologna boss Italiano jubilant after Coppa Italia triumph

Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano called his team’s Coppa Italia triumph “incredible” and labelled his players “extraordinary” after I Rossoblu beat Milan 1-0 to end a 51-year wait for a major trophy.

Forward Dan Ndoye scored what proved to be the winning goal eight minutes after half-time as Bologna lifted the Coppa Italia for just the third time in the club’s history, and their first since 1974.

Milan had been seeking a domestic double following their Supercoppa Italiana win earlier in the season, but it was a night that ultimately belonged to Italiano, who after two Conference League final defeats and a Coppa Italia final loss as Fiorentina manager, finally got his hands on some silverware.

And the significance of the occasion was certainly not lost on the Bologna boss, who struggled to hide his elation at full-time.

“After some disappointments, I think we deserved this, especially as we played a great game tonight. It was an incredible performance, we knew once again what Milan would do in the second half, so we responded,” Italiano said.

“This incredible year is crowned with this trophy, which is what these fans deserved.”

Special celebrations for Vincenzo Italiano 😆#CoppaItaliaFrecciarossa pic.twitter.com/5r1BTl1BXT

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) May 14, 2025

Speaking about his three previous final heartaches, Italiano said: “Those too were three very big disappointments.

“I didn’t honestly think I could get straight back out there and win it, but I did. I dedicate it to these lads, who are extraordinary.”

The 47-year-old also dedicated the victory to the late Joe Barone, the director at Fiorentina who in 2024 had a heart attack in the team hotel hours before a Serie A match and died in hospital a few days later.

“His son sent me a message this morning and I was immensely pleased,” said Italiano.

“We came so close to lifting silverware with him too and they mean a lot to me.”