Lewis Ferguson is already a history-maker at Bologna... but victory in the Coppa Italia over AC Milan would make him and his side legends!

Lewis Ferguson has already written his sanction into the past of Bologna Football Club.

Who knows? In aboriginal years, the city’s past assemblage - believed to beryllium the oldest successful the occidental satellite - mightiness harbour dusty tomes recounting the feats of this squad and its Hamilton-born leader.

A twelvemonth ago, Ferguson captained Bologna to Champions League qualification for the archetypal clip since 1965, winning the Serie A midfielder of the twelvemonth grant arsenic the nine finished 5th and broke its points grounds with its highest decorativeness successful much than fractional a century.

In doing so, helium became the top-scoring antheral Scot successful Serie A history, surpassing the large Denis Law. But for each that, greater glory could await Ferguson successful Rome connected Wednesday night.

On the grandiose signifier of the Stadio Olimpico, a hopeless AC Milan broadside stands betwixt Bologna and their archetypal large trophy successful 51 years.

The stakes could not beryllium higher for this Coppa Italia last successful the Eternal City. For Bologna and Ferguson, fable presumption is astatine their fingertips. For Milan, it could beryllium their past accidental to suffice for Europe.

Few Bologna fans are aged capable to retrieve the names, fto unsocial the faces, of erstwhile trophy-winning captains. Although the nine are seven-time Italian champions, the past of those Scudetti came successful 1963/64 and the others were each won by the 1940s.

Since then, 2 Coppa Italia titles successful 1970 and 1974 person been the lone large trophies the club’s fans person been capable to celebrate.

But for Ferguson, this last offers a accidental astatine a blessed ending to a communicative of personal, arsenic good arsenic collective, travails.

An ACL wounded past April cruelly denied the midfielder a imagination Scotland call-up for Euro 2024 and perchance a lucrative transportation too, arsenic helium watched team-mates Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori implicit moves to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.

He was backmost connected the transportation wrong six months, attributing a ‘Scottish mentality’ for recovering sooner than expected. ‘This is conscionable the quality of a Scottish subordinate - we person the tendency and the volition to win,’ helium quipped astatine the time.

A declaration hold to 2028 followed successful November, but Ferguson faced much bumps successful the roadworthy arsenic muscular problems successful February and April stalled his momentum.

Ferguson has had his moments. He made his Champions League debut past year, captaining the nine 4 times connected the biggest stage. He netted a punishment against Roma and acceptable up 1 of 5 goals successful an bonzer 5-0 thrashing of Lazio successful March.

But for astir of this season, helium has had to perceive to Billy Gilmour and particularly Scott McTominay being lauded arsenic the caller Scottish darlings of Italy arsenic the brace adjacent successful connected a sensational Napoli Scudetto.

It would beryllium a fantastic extremity to a hard year, then, if Ferguson could trump them by becoming the archetypal Scottish antheral since Graeme Souness astatine Sampdoria 40 years agone to triumph a large trophy successful Italy.

The information Bologna find themselves successful this presumption astatine all, balancing a top-four propulsion with a cupful run, comes arsenic a astonishment aft the nine mislaid Zirkzee, Calafiori and manager Thiago Motta past summer.

Vincenzo Italiano’s assignment has proven to beryllium a savvy one, with the erstwhile Fiorentina brag getting his squad playing slick, effectual shot aft a dilatory start.

He has brought retired the champion successful talisman Riccardo Orsolini and developed breathtaking Argentinian talents Santiago Castro and Benjamin Dominguez, though his grounds successful finals astatine Fiorentina - 3 defeats successful 2 years betwixt Coppa Italia and Conference League - is simply a origin for concern.

The Rossoblu’s cupful tally has electrified the city, with Italiano calling it ‘a historical appointment’ that ‘all of Bologna is ready’ for.

Full-back Charalampos Lykogiannis has taken to printing photos of the trophy and sticking them connected the walls, portion determination was adjacent a Coppa/Conclave crossover past week erstwhile Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi was asked astir the adjacent large lawsuit to deed the Eternal City.

‘I ne'er hoped (to beryllium Pope) - firstly Bologna request to triumph the Scudetto. Let’s commencement with the cupful last against Milan,’ helium said.

For Milan, the last represents their past accidental to marque thing of an different hugely disappointing season.

The Rossoneri beryllium eighth successful Serie A with 2 games to spell and winning the Coppa Italia last is by acold their champion way to European shot for adjacent year, with a Europa League spot connected connection for the winners.

‘A historical nine similar Milan can’t beryllium contented with being (eighth) successful the standings. Everyone is hugely frustrated and disappointed,’ said brag Sergio Conceicao, who replaced the sacked Paulo Fonseca mid-season.

However, Milan did bask perfect preparation, winning a formal rehearsal against Bologna 3-1 successful Serie A connected Friday astatine the San Siro successful a crippled wherever a Santiago Gimenez treble and Christian Pulisic onslaught completed a comeback aft Orsolini’s opener.

Fightbacks person been thing of a trademark for this squad nether Conceicao. Only Atletico Madrid (23) person won much points than Milan (22) from losing positions successful Europe’s ‘top 5 leagues’ this season.

The erstwhile Porto manager’s determination to power to a 3-4-3 enactment past period proved sensible, with the squad looking much balanced and winning 4 of their past 5 games arsenic a result.

This is, aft all, a squad packed with idiosyncratic talents: Pulisic, Gimenez, Rafael Leao, Tijjani Reijnders, Theo Hernandez, Kyle Walker, Mike Maignan and Joao Felix are not players you would expect to find successful a mid-table side.

They person already lifted 1 trophy this season, claiming the Italian Super Cup successful January, and doubling up with the home cups is present seen arsenic the lone way to delivering harm limitation.

Former Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivo said this week that the play ‘could not beryllium antagonistic with 2 trophies,’ but that was wherever the optimism stopped.

‘I finished eighth and didn’t triumph immoderate trophies with Milan, for God’s sake, but my squad didn’t person the prime that this squad has,’ helium said.

‘There is regret for the unexpressed imaginable of these players. And we volition announcement it erstwhile Milan watches the Champions League connected TV adjacent year.’