Bologna Coach Italiano: “Market Closure a Relief, Calabria Ready to Play”

Bologna’s head coach Vincenzo Italiano addressed the media ahead of their Coppa Italia quarter-final first leg against Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium. The match marks an immediate reunion with former Bologna defender Stefan Posch, who recently joined Atalanta.

Regarding Posch’s transfer, Italiano stated, “Posch sought more playing time, and this opportunity arose. I hope he finds happiness, but tomorrow we’ll be opponents. He’s a special player, but we’ll be on opposite sides.”

On the closing transfer window, Italiano expressed relief: “Finally, the market closes tonight. It’s never easy to play with an open transfer window, as it can create uncomfortable situations. We’re used to it, though.” He also confirmed new signing Calabria’s availability: “Calabria is fit and could feature in the match.”

Despite facing a formidable opponent, Bologna remains ambitious. Italiano emphasized, “We’re up against an extremely strong team that dominates at home. The stakes are high. We’ll try to play our game with intensity, despite limited preparation time. We’ll give our best against one of Europe’s top teams, the Europa League champions.”