After waiting more than half a century, Bologna finally got their hands on silverware again by beating AC Milan in the Coppa Italia final at a packed-out Stadio Olimpico.

Vincenzo Italiano’s side triumphed thanks to Dan Ndoye’s composed strike early in the second half, clinching the club’s first major trophy since 1974.

It was an emotional night for the Rossoblu and their army of blue-and-red-clad supporters, and Destination Calcio was there from start to finish. Here is how the evening panned out on the ground in the Eternal City.

Rossoneri fans greet the Milan bus

The 2024-25 Serie A campaign will not live fondly in the memory of Rossoneri supporters, but they were determined to revel in their bid for a domestic cup double as masses of red-and-black-shirted supporters swarmed to the Stadio Olimpico.

We were on site the moment that not one but two team buses reached the ground, met by a rapturous welcome from the travelling Milanisti.

Bologna remember their heroes

Bidding for a first Coppa Italia win since their legendary side won the trophy twice in four years at the start of the 1970s, Bologna’s fans motivated their team by evoking the past.

The Curva and Distinti sections on the north side of the stadium were a sea of blue and red flags before kick-off and a giant banner was unveiled depicting the triumphant 1973-74 side in front of the Bologna skyline.

“Now, as then…you only play like this in Paradise,” read a sprawling message underneath.

On the south side of the stadium, Milan fans waved red and black flags, but there was no choreography on show following reports that the one they had planned was blocked by Milanese police.

Roberto Baggio carries the Coppa

Baggio won Italian Cup silverware with Juventus in 1995 and accordingly was invited by Lega Serie A to be one of this season’s Coppa Italia ambassadors.

Baggio, Bologna’s top scorer in 1997-98, inspired the entire Olimpico before kick-off and served as Italiano’s lucky charm as the Rossoblu won their first domestic knockout competition in over five decades.

Ndoye draws first blood

After a close-fought first half where both sides had their moments, Bologna came out firing in the second and raced into the lead just five minutes after the break.

Profiting from a loose ball in the area after Riccardo Orsolini was tackled, Ndoye kept his composure by working himself into space before rattling home a fierce finish.

Moments later, he had hurdled two rows of advertising boards to celebrate under the jubilant Curva Nord, where the fans soon got to celebrate for a second time when a VAR check on a possible offside ruled that the goal would stand.

Milanisti roar for a response

If there is one thing Milan fans have become accustomed to this season, it is comebacks. Only Atletico Madrid earned more points than them from losing positions in Europe’s top five leagues this season, and only a few days earlier, the Rossoneri came from behind to beat Bologna 3-1 in Serie A.

Perhaps with that in mind, the Milanisti looked to fire up their players while they were trailing, setting off a series of flares in the Curva Sud section while increasing the volume of their chants under a red, blue and white banner.

Jubilation at full-time

After six tortuous and seemingly never-ending minutes of stoppage time, the moment finally arrived for the long-suffering Bologna fans. The moment they had waited for, not just for 90 minutes but for 51 long years.

When referee Maurizio Mariani blew the full-time whistle, a roar arose from the Curva Nord as the emotion poured out. White-shirted bodies emptied out of the dugout, sprinting onto the pitch in celebration.

Some players collapsed on the turf in exhaustion and exhilaration, while others made straight for the Curva to begin the celebrations in earnest.

Ferguson lifts the trophy

Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson left everything out on the pitch in a dogged 90 minutes of midfield battling that left him playing most of the game with a bloodied and bandaged face.

The Scotland international has been through a difficult year, suffering an ACL injury a little over a year ago that required a long, challenging rehab before being disrupted by muscular problems once he had recovered.

But he was back to his best in Rome as he marshalled his team to an impressively controlled and composed victory, earning an iconic moment that will go down in the club’s history when he lifted the trophy into the air alongside Lorenzo De Silvestri.

Watch our exclusive interview with Coppa Italia-winning Captain Lewis Ferguson: