Football Season Guide

Ever since coach Mihajlovic took charge of the team in January 2019, Bologna regularly managed to achieve stability, steering away from troubles. However, although they played entertaining football, they ended each campaign with a feeling of unachievement. Inconsistency has always been their problem and the fact that under Mihajlovic they won 3 games straight only once is testament to that. If nothing else, last season they managed to concede less goals than in the previous 4 campaigns and obtained 13 clean sheets, 8 more than the previous season. However, they scored only 44 goals, their worst performance since 2017/2018. Youngsters grew up rapidly under coach Mihajlovic’s guidance and it is no surprise that Bologna lost most of their under-23 starters from last season over the summer. Centre-back Theate, left-back Hickey and holding midfielder Svanberg were all sold for plenty of cash, while 19-year-old centre-back Binks was loaned out to Como, as he is still in need of apprenticeship. Talented midfielder Baldursson was also loaned out but he never really got a taste of Serie A football. At left-back, Bologna should be well covered with promising Cambiaso on loan from Juventus and experienced Lykogiannis signing as a free agent. In the midfield, Dominguez is expected to become a leader, after seasons plagued by injuries, with Aebischer, who signed permanently, set to make a step up and Ferguson arriving from Aberdeen to provide cover. Bologna are missing some depth at the back, with Medel now 35 and Bonifazi coming off a mixed campaign, but they are also in need of a scoring alternative to the outstanding Arnautovic, 14 goals last season. Especially as the Austrian is attracting offers elsewhere despite being 33, and as Barrow never turned into the striker Mihajlovic hoped.