- Lewis Ferguson reveals his uncommon inspiration for historic triumph with Bologna
- Scot led the Serie A aspect to glory within the Coppa Italia last in opposition to AC Milan
Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson has revealed how re-watching Aberdeen’s painful 2018 Scottish League Cup last defeat to Celtic impressed him to a historic Coppa Italia triumph in Rome on Wednesday.
The Scotland midfielder skippered the Serie A aspect to their first trophy in 51 years as they defeated AC Milan 1-0 on the Stadio Olimpico due to Dan Ndoye’s second-half strike.
And the 25-year-old confessed that he screened a rerun of the Hampden showpiece on the morning of the sport to remind himself how unhealthy it felt to return out on the dropping aspect – and be certain that it didn’t occur once more.
Ferguson, who was a young person within the Dons aspect that misplaced out to Ryan Christie’s winner, stated of this week’s happier event: ‘It means quite a bit. I performed in a single last earlier than in Scotland and I misplaced.
‘I bear in mind the sensation after that sport and this morning I rewatched that sport to really feel how I felt all these years in the past. I used this for motivation for tonight. It means a lot.’
Lewis Ferguson (left) joins his team-mates in lifting the Coppa Italia on Wednesday night time
The cup last victory got here after a troublesome 12 months for Lewis Ferguson resulting from damage
Ferguson, son of former Rangers star Derek and nephew of Ibrox interim supervisor Barry, performed the complete 90 minutes of this week’s Coppa Italia showdown, with the Rossoblu making historical past and securing a Europa League spot for subsequent season within the course of.
Bologna’s triumph offered a wonderful finish to a troublesome 12 months for Ferguson, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament damage in April final 12 months that cruelly denied him his probability to signify Scotland at Euro 2024.
He returned final November to play a component in Bologna’s first look within the Champions League since 1965, or European Cup because it was identified again then, however his momentum was then stalled by muscular points he picked up in February and April.
‘Clearly I had a severe damage,’ Ferguson informed a post-final press convention in Italian. ‘I labored laborious for six or seven months, much more, and after I got here again I needed to work much more
‘Then I damage myself once more, after which once more. So it has been a troublesome 12 months, however I’m blissful now. I’m right here and tonight I performed in a historic match.’
Underneath Ferguson’s captaincy, Bologna have loved a record-breaking interval.
Supervisor Thiago Motta led the workforce to a fifth place end in Serie A final season with a club-record factors whole.
On the identical time, Ferguson scooped the celebrated Bulgarelli Quantity 8 award for midfielder of the 12 months after scoring six objectives, which noticed him surpass Denis Legislation as probably the most prolific Scottish scorer within the Italian top-flight.
Motta’s subsequent transfer to Juventus, and the gross sales of key gamers Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, meant that few predicted Bologna would preserve those self same requirements within the 2024-25 marketing campaign.
As a substitute, they’ve gone one higher, with new coach Vincenzo Italiano preserving his workforce within the top-four race all season and now main them to some elusive silverware.
‘We’ve got grown quite a bit within the three years I’ve been right here,’ added Ferguson, who was left with a bloodied nostril within the last after taking a boot to the face within the first half.
‘Yearly we increase the extent of our sport and our work ethic. Final 12 months we made historical past, we achieved a file factors whole and certified for the Champions League. ‘Right this moment we made historical past, too, and we’re blissful. Now we have to push much more.’
