Scotland international Lewis Ferguson reveals Gary Medel had to be held back by his Bologna teammates from physically fighting protesting ultras outside the training ground. ‘He picked the biggest guy and was honestly wanting to take him on one v one.’
The 23-year-old midfielder joined Bologna from Aberdeen FC over the summer for €3.5m and has already scored three goals in nine Serie A appearances.
He sat down for a podcast interview with his father, former player Derek Ferguson, and revealed some remarkable details about life in Italian football.
The ultras can surprise foreign players with the sheer power they wield in Serie A and Ferguson saw it close up.
“I walked into the car park outside the training ground, a big group of ultras and a big group of players, no security, no nothing. I thought for f***’s sake, and they’re scary guys, with spiderweb tattoos on their faces.
“They were shouting in Italian, but so passionate and I thought it went too far. They were in your face and pointing. A few of the players lost it with them, it could’ve turned into a Royal Rumble. It was mental.
“At one point, I couldn’t really understand what they were saying, but one of them said we weren’t trying hard enough and my boys were shouting back.
“Medel picked the biggest guy out them all and was honestly wanting to take him one v one. The boys were holding him back. It was brilliant, I’ve never experienced anything like that. We got back inside I was like, f***ing hell, and the boys said: ‘Welcome to Italy.’ Medel, what a guy.”
Amongst other things, Ferguson told his fellow Scots that the drivers in Italy are “mental, so careless” and have a very different concept to Glaswegians on what ‘freezing’ weather means.
He has already learned that you cannot drink cappuccino after midday or put meat on the same plate as pasta.
If there is one player who enjoys the British lifestyle more than the Italian, it is Austria international Marko Arnautovic.
“He thinks people from the UK are alright, drinking, betting and all the bad stuff. He loved it there. From what I’ve seen, he knocked Manchester United back.”
One of the things Ferguson doesn’t necessarily appreciate too much is the Italian tradition in football that whoever scores or signs a new contract has to buy his teammates dinner.
Can’t understand wtf they are saying