Trophy Express: Bologna beat AC Milan 1-0 to win the Italian Cup

Congratulations to Bologna on winning the Italian Cup! 

Bologna had a big win on Wednesday. It ended a 51-year wait for a major trophy. The team beat AC Milan 1-0 to win the Italian Cup. Dan Ndoye was back from injury. He scored the winning goal. It was Bologna’s first Italian Cup win since 1974. The club is owned by Canadian Joey Saputo. It has only got two second-division titles in the long wait.

This win was also a first for coach Vincenzo Italiano. It was his first victory in a final. He had lost two Europa Conference League matches in a row before. He managed Fiorentina then. He was also second in the 2023 Italian Cup. "They were three big disappointments," Italiano said to broadcaster Mediaset. "I didn’t think I could come back so fast and do better. But we did it and I’m happy. I give this important trophy to the players. They were amazing."

When the game ended, Bologna players picked up Italiano to celebrate. Many players and fans cried with joy. The win got Bologna a place in next season’s Europa League. Milan may miss out on European competition completely. This result might mean the end of Sérgio Conceição’s short time as Milan's head coach. The team is eighth in Serie A after a bad season.

Both teams wanted to end their Italian Cup droughts. Milan last won the trophy 22 years ago. It has lost two finals since then. The match started fast. Goalkeepers made good saves in the first minutes. Things got tense near the end of the first half. Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson got a bloody nose. It was from a tackle by Rafael Leão.

Bologna scored eight minutes into the second half. Riccardo Orsolini was tackled in the area by Theo Hernández. The ball went to Ndoye. He curved it skillfully into the right side of the net. The 24-year-old Switzerland international had missed three games before. It was because of a thigh injury. In their recent league game, Milan came back from a goal down. They won 3-1 then. There was no comeback this time in Rome.