Failed to Win Italian Cup, No European Quota for AC Milan

ROME, THURSDAY — AC Milan had to acknowledge the superiority of Bologna, losing 1-0 in the Coppa Italia final at the Olimpico Stadium, Rome, on Thursday (15/5/2025) early morning WIB. After enduring a poor season, the Coppa Italia trophy was Milan's only hope for solace. With this defeat, Milan not only failed to double their trophies but was also assured of not qualifying for next season's European club competitions.

Starting the season by winning the Supercoppa Italiana, no one expected Milan to end up in such an ironic situation now. In Serie A, the team coached by Sergio Conceicao is languishing in eighth place. This means Milan has no choice but to win against Bologna in order to secure the Coppa Italia title and simultaneously seal a ticket to the Europa League for the upcoming season.

A glimmer of hope emerged last week when Milan faced Bologna in the continuation of the Italian League. In that match, Milan defeated Bologna 3-1. The match can be considered a warm-up for both teams before meeting in the final. High optimism enveloped the Milan players following that victory.

However, Bologna has turned experience into the best teacher. From last week's defeat, they formulated a strategy that would be suitable to counter Milan. In addition, the return of left winger Dan Ndoye has been able to enhance Bologna's attacking sharpness. Ndoye was also the hero of Bologna's victory with his goal in the 53rd minute.

"After several disappointments, I feel we deserved to win, especially because we played well tonight. It was an outstanding performance. We knew once again what Milan would do in the second half, so we responded accordingly," said Bologna Coach Vincenzo Italiano, as quoted by Football Italia.

Bologna's goalkeeper, Lukasz Skorupski, played a significant role in leading his team to victory. The Polish goalkeeper made three outstanding saves that left the Milan players feeling frustrated. Milan dominated the match with 54 percent possession, but Italiano stacked players in the final third of Bologna's defense.

The strategy limited the movement of Milan players in maneuvering. Milan created a dangerous opportunity when Rafael Leao managed to disrupt Bologna's defense. Leao then sent a pass to Alex Jimenez, who failed to convert it into a goal.

Throughout the match, Milan was only able to make two shots on target. This number is significantly lower compared to Bologna, which was able to perform more efficiently. Although not dominant in ball possession, Bologna managed to create five shots on target, one of which resulted in a goal.

Milan's failure was also influenced by the players' inability to maintain possession of the ball. In addition, Milan's players did not play with greater patience after falling behind and often made ambitious passes that were easily intercepted by Bologna's defense.

The victory over Milan became a sort of oasis after the departure of many key players, including coach Thiago Motta, who left this season. Modern center-back Ricardo Calafiori could not resist the allure of Arsenal. Meanwhile, forward Joshua Zirkzee accepted an offer from Manchester United. Motta, who was the mastermind behind Bologna's success in finishing in the top five last season, has moved to Juventus.

However, the loss of such important names did not significantly affect Bologna's performance. Bologna's performance did not drastically decline even though several key players chose to leave.

In addition, the victory over Milan feels truly extraordinary for Italiano. He previously had a poor record in finals while managing Fiorentina. Italiano successfully led Fiorentina to three finals in two seasons. Two finals in the Europa League and one in the Coppa Italia. All three matches ended in disappointment.

Italiano's success in overcoming his past has also brought the trophy that Bologna has longed for over 51 years. The Coppa Italia was the last trophy won by Bologna in 1974. Unexpectedly, the "Rossoblu" managed to end their trophy drought of more than half a century in the same arena, the Coppa Italia.

"This extraordinary year is crowned with this trophy, which is something that our fans deserve," said Italiano.