The Champions League debut of Bologna by Vincenzo Italiano ends with a draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. A match also commented by Italo Cucci on the pages of the Sports Courier: “After an hour of play I saw a Bologna in the Champions League, with a superb striker in the 58th minute, almost a goal, almost a prayer – Santiago scores pro nobis! – then a pause of uncertainty when Fabbian came out in the 80th minute and an overwhelming, courageous finale – the red and blue dominance was clear – if the big boy from Camposampiero had still had his foot, maybe the goal would have arrived.
[…] I had imagined it: a small thing in the championship, the Champions League arrives, pride explodes, everyone standing like the faithful people who played their game for a hundred minutes instead, a heart as big as this, a continuous scream like that afternoon of the championship. Very strong emotion, desire for tears to dedicate to that team of Fulvio and Giacomino that we lost and that reappeared for some time in the tearful sky of the Dall’Ara.
Yes, I expected it, but the initial push immediately came from that penalty at one minute and forty-four seconds: welcome fear, welcome Mr. Sudakov, the best of the “miners” (that’s what they were called in my day), welcome Skorupski with that save that communicated the desire to fight, to win, in any case to offer the city, to the whole of Italy, the image of a real team”.