In a significant historical moment in Rome, Bologna clinched their first Coppa Italia title in 51 years, and the third in the club`s history, by defeating AC Milan, featuring Christian Pulisic, with a 1-0 scoreline in the final. This victory marks a major achievement for the club under the ownership of Canadian businessman Joey Saputo, who took charge in 2014. Their last previous trophy was the Intertoto Cup in 1998.
The decisive goal was scored in the second half by Dan Ndoye, making him the hero of the night for the team coached by Vincenzo Italiano. For Italiano, this win is particularly sweet as it comes in his first season with Bologna, following three unsuccessful Coppa Italia finals while managing Fiorentina. For AC Milan, despite having won the Supercoppa Italiana earlier in January and knocking out rivals Inter in the Coppa Italia semifinals, this defeat means they missed a key opportunity to secure a place in European competition next season via the cup. Bologna`s Coppa Italia win grants them a spot in the Europa League.
AC Milan`s potential participation in European soccer next season is now solely dependent on their performance in Serie A, where they would need to finish in the top four to qualify for the Champions League or secure a Europa League spot through league position. As things stand, American international Pulisic`s presence in European club competitions in the season leading up to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada remains uncertain, tied directly to Milan`s final league standing.
While Bologna celebrates a historic title, their first major trophy in half a century which adds to their recent successes including potential qualification for European competition based on their league position, AC Milan faces a period of reflection and crucial decisions. The club, owned by American businessman Gerry Cardinale, is widely expected to appoint a new manager soon, potentially their third in under a year, as reports suggest Portuguese manager Sergio Conceicao is unlikely to continue beyond the current spell. The Rossoneri need to address the issues from this season as there`s a real possibility they could miss out on all European tournaments in the 2025-26 season.
Currently sitting in eighth place in Serie A, AC Milan urgently needs to accumulate points in the remaining weeks of the season to have any chance of securing a European qualification spot for the next campaign.
