Italiano Full of Pride as Bologna Prepares for Champions League Debut

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Italiano's introduction:

"In this first Champions League conference, I wanted to have with me my right-hand man, Lorenzo De Silvestri, leader of the pack of this team and who it was inevitable to have here with us today, and my left-hand man, Riccardo Orsolini, who represents this team also for last season. On our part, there is great pride and curiosity, and the will to face this opportunity in the best possible way."

Seeing all three of you gives a great sense of unity: do we need this to start and help each other on the pitch too?

"I like that this is perceived, because it is the message we want to send, from when we get on the bus to when we go to dinner, breakfast and lunch. This is also important when thinking about the teams we will face, which on paper seem stronger than us. However, we are convinced that we can cause problems for all our opponents, underlining the two excellent performances we have had here at home."

How exciting is it to experience the Champions League as a coach?

"I'm also very excited. It will be a beautiful journey to experience with great pride. We don't want to be extras but to put everyone in difficulty."

What is the level of this Champions League?

"The level is high. We start by facing an experienced opponent in this competition. With this new format, however, we have the opportunity, especially at home, to show what we are worth, starting tomorrow. We must be ready."

How long is it until the Bologna that Vincenzo Italiano imagined?

"We're getting used to it. At the moment we still have ups and downs: I've seen situations in which we did what we tried, others in which it was clear that we hadn't yet blended some concepts well. I think that two months is not enough to make your mark on a team, considering the many players busy with the national teams and those injured.

"We'll have to be good at interpreting the various moments of the matches in the best possible way, starting tomorrow. This is a team that has shown in the past that there are no home and away matches: we'll have to be good at recreating this."

Shakhtar is a very young team that won well last weekend...

"We already projected ourselves towards Shakhtar on the bus coming back from Como. They are a young team that has an important offensive projection, with valuable internationals. We must try to be aggressive and work well on 1 on 1, avoiding mistakes as much as possible. However, we believe we can cause them problems."

On a personal level, how are you experiencing this experience?

"It helps me a lot to think about what I've experienced in the last two years, touring Europe and feeling the atmosphere of stadiums and warm fans. I know what we're going to face and my past experience has taught me how to manage emotions. I believe that this experience, just as it helped me, will help a lot the guys who have never experienced Europe. I can't wait to get on the pitch."

The beauty of sport is putting a team that is living in a war zone on the same level as others.

"We talked about it: this club and these guys are experiencing something that no one would ever wish for. We all hope that conflicts like this will end quickly. We have great respect for these guys who are training far from home in order to be able to carry on their passion."