Vincenzo Italiano expressed his confusion over why his Bologna team struggles to deliver consistent performances, as they suffered a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to AC Milan on Tuesday night.
The Rossoblu’s defense was notably poor, conceding goals to Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christopher Nkunku, and Adrien Rabiot—two of which were largely self-inflicted errors.
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Italiano: ‘Bologna punishes every minor mistake’
BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 03: Vincenzo Italiano, head coach of Bologna FC, during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and AC Milan at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on February 03, 2026. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
In an interview with DAZN after the match, Italiano noted that his players seemed confident heading into the game but pointed out that defensive errors are costing the team, which has now dropped to 10th place in the standings.
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“From my perspective, we were quite confident and approached the game well, but we struggle to deliver two strong performances in a row,” Italiano stated post-match. “We are conceding goals from even the slightest mistakes and paying for every error. We were vulnerable at the back, and they took advantage of that. Although we tried to challenge them, we simply can’t maintain consistent quality in our play, and that’s something we need to address.”
BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 03: Christopher Nkunku of AC Milan competes for the ball with Federico Ravaglia of Bologna FC during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and AC Milan at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on February 03, 2026. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
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Italiano acknowledged that Bologna has yet to recapture their form since their appearance in the Supercoppa Italiana final last December. “We’ve lost some brilliance and solidity since then. While we occasionally play like ourselves, our lack of performance continuity and focus is concerning. We need to be more vigilant,” he remarked.
“We were excited for this match after our game against Maccabi, especially with the arrival of new players. We have time to restore our standards; if we can find the right approach in the upcoming three months, things will improve,” he added.
When questioned about expectations for players like Riccardo Orsolini and Santiago Castro, Italiano responded: “It’s natural for teams to rely on their key players to impact games. Quality players can make all the difference, especially when things are not going well. Currently, we are showing inconsistency, and that’s not ideal. We need to find the right balance, as that is crucial.”