Bologna’s sporting director Marco Di Vaio, who once played for Monaco, reflected on the team’s journey and current Champions League campaign in a recent interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. Di Vaio, who joined Bologna as a player in 2008 and will mark his 10th year as a director next year, shared his thoughts on the team’s progress and ambitions.
On Bologna’s current state, Di Vaio said, “We’re working to find a new identity. We’ve often discussed this with Italiano: when you change leadership, there’s a whole process of learning, management, and novelty that takes time. But I want to say one thing: considering the extraordinary season we had last year, having such a distinct identity after just three months of work is a big step. But we still expect further growth.”
Regarding the team’s recent form, Di Vaio expressed, “We were concerned and more than anything disappointed, given the daily work. You see, results never lie: if you don’t win, it means something’s not right.”
On the return of Ferguson, Di Vaio enthused, “It’s like finding a diamond. When you have him, you realize everything you’ve lost without him.”
Discussing the importance of tonight’s match against Monaco, Di Vaio stated, “The playoffs are difficult but not impossible. But one thing must be said: the Champions League should serve as a school, an enrichment for everyone. We certainly want our first goal in the Cup and our first victory. Monaco has talent, but…”
When asked about his time at Monaco, Di Vaio reminisced, “I was so eager to play that I showed up in Monte Carlo on December 27, before the transfer market even opened. We had beautiful, strong months, we went to Europe. Guidolin convinced me in an instant, but in the long run they fired him, and that’s also why I decided there were no longer the conditions to stay.”
Regarding the current squad and new signings, Di Vaio explained, “Castro has a six-month advantage, Thijs needs to get to know our league. He’ll get there… I think Italiano’s approach is logical and judicious. If we didn’t play every three days, and therefore if we had the possibility to spread out the integration of new players over six full training sessions, perhaps there would have been a different direction. Vincenzo is doing an accelerated course.”
On the team’s transfer strategy, Di Vaio concluded, “It’s wrong to make comparisons. If we think of Zirkzee and Calafiori, it’s not right to think of their latest version: let’s think of when they were looking for a relaunch in Basel, Parma, or here in their first year. Then they became Zirkzee and Calafiori, but they needed time and the growth of the team around them. Our market in one word? Consistent with the history of recent years, that is, in the direction of investment.”
