Coppa Italia: Bologna beats AC Milan, ending more than half a century of waiting

Bologna ended a 51-year wait by winning the Coppa Italia on Wednesday against AC Milan , who were beaten 1-0 and unable to save their season. The Rossoblu fans had been waiting for a trophy since 1974 and their patience was finally rewarded thanks to a goal from Swiss striker Dan Ndoye (53rd minute): Bologna added a third Coppa Italia to their list of achievements, after those won in 1970 and 1974.

But like their Milanese counterparts, the Bolognese fans were not spoiled by the quality of play in a tight final, punctuated by numerous fouls. It had started well, however, with a very lively first quarter of an hour, with clear chances on both sides.

Bologna came close to opening the scoring in the 8th minute with a Juan Miranda free kick that was slightly headed off by Santiago Castro. Despite a rebound, Mike Maignan, on his line, managed to deflect it. Three minutes later, AC Milan sent shivers down the spines of the Bologna ultras massed behind Lucasz Skorupski's goal, making a double save, first from Luka Jovic's acrobatic close-range volley, then from Christian Pulisic.

The final of this 78th edition of the Coppa Italia quickly lost its intensity. Fearing that each side would be exposed, both teams made a series of clumsy mistakes, fouls, and disputes, such as late in the first half when Lewis Ferguson tackled Rafael Leao as he tried to escape.

After the break, Bologna found the back of the net with a pass from Giovanni Fabbian that sent the Milan defense into a panic. Found in the box, Ndoye dribbled past several defenders to reposition himself in the middle and beat Maignan with a cross-field shot. AC Milan disappointed again and missed a major match.

Quickly outpaced in the race for the Italian championship title, eliminated from the Champions League in the play-off for the round of 16 by the modest Feyenoord, the Lombard club missed its 2024-25 season. It did indeed win the Italian Super Cup in January, in its first two matches under Sergio Conceiçao.

But the star of the Portuguese coach, who replaced his compatriot Paulo Fonseca, dismissed after only six months, has since faded considerably. His team, 8th in Serie A, must achieve a perfect performance in the last two matches, and above all, rely on an improbable combination of circumstances, with no fewer than five other teams still aspiring to Europe, to secure at best a ticket to the Conference League.

This defeat could signal yet another attempt at rebuilding Milan this summer, which could see Conceiçao and some of the dressing room's key players pay the price.