Thiago Motta reveals Riccardo Orsolini was not originally meant to take the penalty against Inter and explains how Bologna have been able to take points off the biggest clubs.
The Nerazzurri thought they were on their way to a comfortable victory after going 2-0 up within 12 minutes thanks to a Francesco Acerbi header on a corner and the ferocious Lautaro Martinez strike from distance.
However, Riccardo Orsolini converted a cheap penalty given away needlessly by Lautaro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee completed the comeback in the second half.
“Zirkzee is our penalty taker, but at that moment I decided to hand it to Orsolini. He felt sad about that, I apologised to him in the locker room and we sorted it out at half-time. I understand how he feels, he is a striker and lives for goals,” Thiago Motta revealed to DAZN.
“I tell you every week that Zirkzee is the symbol of our Bologna, because he is not egotistical, he works so hard in training and in the match for the team. He got the goal he was looking for and came close to in recent weeks, he ended the game with cramp because he was giving his all.
“Everyone at the club loves him, because he is a nice, respectful lad and we are very glad to have players like this at Bologna.”
The Rossoblu had a completely revamped defence and finished the match with three left-backs, as they are missing three central defenders.
“The players every day show me how eager they are to learn and do things they were not accustomed to. We knew Inter would start very strong and we were unable to hold them back at that moment, but the way we reacted to a negative situation was fantastic.
“The lads continued to play and work together, so this point is the right reward for that performance.”
Bologna have only lost one Serie A match this season, the opening defeat to joint leaders Milan.
“You need alternatives in football, because nowadays everyone studies you and if you keep doing the same things, you become predictable. We have a midfield with Remo Freuler, who brought his experience at this level, while Michel Aebischer is growing game by game in this role that is best suited to him. Those who come off the bench also contribute with different characteristics.”
Bologna are extremely difficult to beat and have already held Juventus, Napoli and Inter to stalemates this season, so how far can they go?
“We want to be the team you saw today, that is ready to challenge sides that are stronger than we are. There is a gap in quality, that is clear, but when my players work like this, it helps nullify that gap,” concluded Thiago Motta.
“We stopped Inter today, when it came to Juventus it was frankly a game we deserved to win, so if anything they stalled us.”