Fabio Capello (photo by jurij kodrun/getty images)
Fabio Capello insists that Bologna were worthy victors of the Coppa Italia trophy, even though he ‘didn’t like’ the game that was played out at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night, particularly from a Milan perspective: ‘The Rossoneri did nothing, zero.’
A lone goal from Dan Ndoye was enough for Bologna to hold on to a 1-0 victory over Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night, which handed the Rossoblu their first major title in 51 years.
Milan, who were the victors of this year’s Supercoppa Italiana, were unable to replicate their success in January, and now run the risk of missing out on European football altogether next season.
Analysing the match that unfolded in the capital on Wednesday night, Capello explained that it wasn’t a thriller between the two sides: “Bologna deserved the cup, even if the match in Rome was not a good advert for Italian football if I’m being honest,” he wrote in his La Gazzetta dello Sport column.
“I didn’t like the match,” he continued. The Rossoblu found the winner through Dan Ndoye, an important and generous player, but they entertained me more at other stages of the season. That’s okay, everything becomes more complicated in a final.
“But Bologna scored their goal, even without creating too much, and then defended it well.
“On the other hand, Milan’s performances left a lot to be desired. What about Sergio Conceicao’s team? Other than a few ideas from Rafa Leao in the first half, the Rossoneri did nothing, zero. Milan had one real chance: At the beginning with that exchange between Beukema, Skorupski and Jovic. Then practically nothing.”
Capello also suggests that Conceicao might have benefitted from introducing Samuel Chukwueze earlier, as he was one of the few Rossoneri players that tried to make things happen after he was brought on late in the second half.
“Conceicao tried to put as many forwards on the pitch as possible when he went behind, but Italiano learned the lesson of the finals he lost at the helm of Fiorentina and closed the gaps in defence, giving very little to the opponent.
“Leao aside, the only blows came from Chukwueze at the end (Might he have entered earlier, in hindsight?). It was too little in a final that came after an overwhelmingly disappointing season.”
