Italiano: ‘Some players deserve a starting spot more than others’

Vincenzo Italiano has given his reasoning for naming a heavily rotated Bologna side for Thursday’s Europa League match against RB Salzburg following a 3-0 win over Udinese over the weekend, and has explained what makes the Austrian outfit such a difficult test for the Rossoblu. 

Bologna, who sit in fifth place and are just three points off the lead in Serie A, host RB Salzburg at the Dall’Ara in the Europa League on Thursday evening. The Rossoblu have ground to make up in Europe, currently sitting in 26th place after a win, two draws and one loss from their opening four matches in the competition. 

You can follow the action from tonight’s game, and from Fiorentina vs. AEK Athens, on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Despite beating Udinese 3-0 away from home in Serie A, and despite being in need of points in the Europa League table, Italiano has made six alterations to his starting line-up this evening. 

“The most difficult job a coach has is trying to convey his thoughts and getting everyone to understand them,” he told Sky Sport Italia ahead of kick-off.  

“There are some who deserve a starting spot more than others given their commitment and intensity in training during the week, but with all these games so close together, and with a series of injuries, making these changes while still gaining results becomes important.”

Italiano explained why he has decided to field Federico Bernardeschi on the left wing on this occasion. 

“Last year, we often used Dan Ndoye on the side of his stronger foot, because of his speed and the strength that he had running deep. Bernardeschi did that at Juventus and also in Canada. 

“He has a lot of speed and is doing well. We hope he can take advantage of the momentum after his goal in Udine, and it’s the right choice to play him there and give him this opportunity.” 

And what does he expect to see from RB Salzburg? 

“They’re a young team with a lot of enthusiasm and are top of the table in their league. We’ve tried to study their weaknesses, if they have any. 

“They’re good at keeping things tight, we have to be quick in attacking the penalty area. We have to know what to do on the pitch, have a good approach and a strong start.”