BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 23: Riccardo Calafiori of Bologna FC appears to be like on throughout the Serie A TIM match between Bologna FC and Atalanta BC at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on December 23, 2023 in Bologna, Italy. (Photograph by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Photos)
Vincenzo Italiano’s Bologna proceed to impress in Serie A and are aiming for an historic second consecutive look within the Champions League, regardless of dropping large gamers in Riccardo Calafiori, Alexis Saelemaekers and Joshua Zirkzee in the summertime.
Right here is why these gamers aren’t missed and the way the Rossoblu have changed them.
Why Bologna don’t miss Calafiori, Zirkzee or Saelemaekers
Bologna completed the 2023-24 marketing campaign in fifth place in Serie A, which was sufficient to qualify for the Champions League on account of Italy’s further spot within the event this season.
After 29 matches of the 2024-25 season, Bologna at present sit in fourth place with a barely higher factors per recreation file than they’d final yr. (1.78 ppg in 2023-24, 1.79 ppg in 2024-25).
After 29 matches final season, Bologna had been one level higher off than they had been this time final season (54 factors in 2023-24, 53 factors in 2024-25). They’d conceded fewer objectives this time final yr (25 in 2023-24, 34 in 2024-25), however had scored fewer themselves in comparison with this season (42 in 2023-24, 49 in 2024-25).
Targets apart, Bologna have virtually managed to duplicate their factors tally and factors per recreation common from this time final yr, which is especially spectacular given the turnover within the low season that noticed Italiano change Thiago Motta as head coach, whereas additionally dropping key gamers in Calafiori, Saelemaekers and Zirkzee.
What’s much more spectacular is the truth that Bologna have stored their consistency whereas additionally turning a major revenue on participant gross sales over the past yr.
Calafiori’s sale raised simply shy of €50m, Zirkzee introduced in €42.5m not together with add-ons and bonuses. In the meantime, Bologna’s costliest incoming participant this yr has been Thijs Dallinga at a price of €15m, whereas bargains have emerged within the type of Benja Dominguez and Jens Odgaard, who value the membership lower than €9m mixed.
All advised, Bologna raised properly over €100m in participant gross sales over the past yr, and spent simply over €50m themselves, whereas additionally managing to maintain consistency when it comes to factors and outcomes on the pitch.
Calafiori’s departure has made for a blossoming centre-back pairing of Jhon Lucumi and Sam Beukema. The latter might be one of many subsequent gamers that Bologna flip a revenue on, who got here in at a price of €8m and is at present valued within the area of €35m.
Santiago Castro has been the star of the Rossoblu assault this season. The 20-year-old has eight objectives and 5 assists in Serie A to date this time period, and can be being linked with a big-money transfer away from the Dall’Ara, as Inter see him because the long-term inheritor to Lautaro Martinez’s throne.
So, all in all, Bologna have managed to show a revenue, may do the identical once more this summer time by numerous participant gross sales, and the Rossoblu funds will solely enhance if there may be one other Champions League marketing campaign on the horizon as properly, which might be the membership’s second in succession and solely the second time they’ve been concerned within the competitors because the Nineteen Sixties. All performed with out Calafiori and Zirkzee as properly.
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