BOLOGNA, ITALY – APRIL 07: Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, looks on after being presented with the Original Philadelphia Coach of the Month award for March 2025 prior to the Serie A match between Bologna and Napoli at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on April 07, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Bologna director Marco Di Vaio confirms the club is eager to ‘sit down with Vincenzo Italiano and start planning the future’ with a contract extension, but only after the Coppa Italia semi-final against Empoli.
It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.
The Emilia-Romagna side is on the verge of its first Coppa Italia Final participation in 51 years, which would also automatically qualify them for the Supercoppa Italiana Final Four.
“We are very excited as a club, as directors, coach and players, because we know this is an historic moment for Bologna. We want to go out there and bring home this place in the Final,” Di Vaio told Sport Mediaset.
The Rossoblu will need something extraordinary if they are to miss out on the Coppa Italia Final against Milan on May 14, having won the first leg 3-0 away from home.
Bologna focused on the future
“We have to ignore the first leg, respect our opponents and ourselves too, by pretending it starts at 0-0. We are facing Empoli for the fourth time this season, most of those games were very tight and we know they already eliminated big clubs, so we have to be on our toes,” continued Di Vaio.
Bologna had over-performed last season with coach Thiago Motta by finishing fifth in Serie A to qualify for the Champions League, but they are doing even better under Italiano, currently fourth in the league and on the verge of a spot in the Coppa Italia Final.
“This team has been built day by day, we’re very happy with what we are doing, I feel that we are a solid club in Italian football and this evening we can further consolidate our status at the top level of Calcio.”
Di Vaio was asked if Bologna are prepared to offer Italiano a contract extension, as he has already earned interest from Milan, Roma and Juventus for next term.
“We want to talk to the coach, sit around a table at the opportune moment once the season is over, hoping to extend this contract. However, there’s no point talking about it now, as we are in a vortex of big games, so we all want to be focused on those and wait until the end of the campaign,” replied the director.
“We’re eager to then sit down with Italiano and start planning the future along with him.”
