Charalampos Lykogiannis: "I dream of lifting the Italian Cup with Bologna"

"I live for the moment when I raise the Coppa Italia at the Olimpico". An important phrase, without mincing words, which expresses all the ambitions of Charalampos Lykogiannis, told in a long interview to the Greek magazine Sport 24, even before the double confrontation with the Milan, first in the championship and then right in Rome when a trophy will be at stake: "A Bologna we have the motto 'We Are One'. We are much more than just a family. When I arrived here I immediately felt welcomed. My teammates explained to me that this is what makes the difference here. The staff, the city, the love you receive from the people, everything. Here football is experienced intensely, it is something indescribable, I had not even felt it at Olympiacos".

Lykogiannis then continued, highlighting how the team's ambition is to continue to grow: "I don't want to say that we are the new Atalanta but we are the Bologna that will play in the top positions also in the coming years. This year has not been easy, important players have left and also Thiago Motta. It has arrived Italian, he asked us what we wanted and little by little we began to demonstrate our value on the pitch. I have never seen a coach like him. He has passion and wants to win. He is the coach who has had the greatest influence on me throughout my career. The influence of Mihajlovic? Sinisa was and is the heart of Bologna. He meant and still means a lot."

The full-back also underlined how Bologna has proved to be a suitable place for Greek players: "There have been many, the last one was Kyriakopoulos and before that Zagorakis, Kone, Christodoulopoulos, Moras, Oikonomou and Torosidis". Lykogiannis was impressed by the fervor for the conquest of the Champions and from last year's party: "My only tattoo is the Champions League ball on my right wrist, I got it last year. There was a thrilling atmosphere, it was as if we had won the championship. Then this year we played: I felt like a child. I had always dreamed of moments like this."

The goal now is the Olimpico challenge, with the Greek speaking clearly: "What we will do in case of victory in the Cup, we haven't said anything yet because it's early. We already have a great chance of winning. It's our chance".