Vincenzo Italiano and Bologna ready to challenge the curse in the Coppa Italia final

TaxiThe successful loser. Some labels stick to you like a curse, a second skin. It happens to Vincenzo Italiano, leader of a Bologna who aspires to win a trophy after 51 years. The final of the Italian Cup on Wednesday in Rome, with the great exodus of thirty thousand rossoblù fans, becomes the opportunity to erase that malicious label.

In his life our Montalbano of the bench has won the playoffs of every category, he has achieved promotion with Trapani (from C to B) and Spezia (from B to A). But in the three finals of his life, conquered with Fiorentina (two Conference Leagues and one Coppa Italia), he has always remained empty-handed.

It is no surprise that the man from Ribera is playing all his cards on the final in Rome. For over a month he has been balancing out appearances and rotations between starters and second lines, dodging injuries, suspensions and drops in form.

In the San Siro match he started with only four men from the starting lineup, leaving Ndoye, Odgaard and Holm at home. These are the aces he plans to bring to Rome to give his Bologna team the winning push and rediscover the brilliance shown in the match against Lazio, the true manifesto of Italiano's football. If his team expressed that level of play and concentration, it would be really tough for Milan.

With its first team and a desirable return of Castro to the centre of attack, Bologna can play its cards well, especially if it can prevent the fast runs of the Milanese arrows (including the recovered Leao), capable of making a breach in any defence.

As for the final curse, Italiano has an important precedent to draw inspiration from: that of Gasperini. After a series of rejections by the skin of his teeth, his Atalanta won the Europa League final. If Bologna aspires to enter the fold of the big clubs, this is the right time to imitate Gasp.