Bologna sporting director Marco Di Vaio praises the ‘great mentalities and work ethics’ of the Scottish players he signed for the Rossoblu as a part of a recruitment process that leads them to look at leagues ‘that are still accessible.’
Aaron Hickey and Lewis Ferguson swapped the Scottish Premiership with the Serie A in 2020 and 2022 respectively, joining the Stadio Dall’Ara in a time of sporting and economic growth that culminated in their first Champions League in 60 years.
Bologna will travel to Anfield to meet Liverpool on Wednesday, after the 0-0 home draw against Shakhtar in the opening match that marked their return to the major European competition.
Di Vaio on Scottish players’ ‘great’ mentality, Zirkzee and Calafiori
“We monitor players in leagues that play the most youngsters, leagues that are still accessible to us,” Di Vaio said in an interview with The Athletic.
“Then we figure out what kind of investments we want to make on players who are 18, 22, 23, at max 24. That’s the idea, the target.
“Those deals (in Scotland) have been great for us.
“We were able to get players with great mentalities and work ethics. They give 100 per cent every day. They’ve got quality. They were two very positive surprises.”
After becoming Bologna’s first-ever Scottish player in 2020 for a figure in the region of €2m, Aaron Hickey was sold to Brentford two years later for more than €20m.
His compatriot Lewis Ferguson is still at the club and has established himself as one of the most prolific Serie A midfielders over the last two seasons, scoring 13 goals from 63 league appearances with the Rossoblu before sustaining an ACL injury in recent months.
Di Vaio also spoke about the evolution of Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee, two more players who made Bologna’s fortune last season before joining Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United in lucrative deals.
“We signed Riccardo [Calafiori] to cover two positions, we didn’t initially think of him as a starter,” Di Vaio admitted.
“We wanted him to develop behind Jhon Lucumi at centre-back and Victor Kristiansen at left-back but when he began playing in the middle, he interpreted the role as a full-back would but with the defensive awareness, physicality and concentration needed from a centre-back.
“Our job [with Zirkzee] and that of the coach was to make him improve when it came to his intensity in games, to always be present in them and decisive.
“After quite a tricky first year, the strides he made in his second were incredible, particularly mentally. He can play anywhere. He’ll make a difference in the Premier League.”