FC Südtirol leaves first division teams and European Championship participants reeling

Six days before the first competitive match of the 2024/25 season, the "new" FC Südtirol has passed its baptism of fire. On Saturday, it faced real football celebrities in front of almost 2.500 fans in the Drusus Stadium.

August 03, 2024

From the Drusus Stadium in Bolzano

From:
Alexander Foppa

Before FCS kicks off its Coppa Italia campaign against Serie A club Monza next Friday, German Bundesliga club VfL Bochum and Italy's Champions League participant Bologna were in the Drusus Stadium as benchmarks. Both teams concluded their training camp in South Tyrol with this three-way tournament. And both had a hard time in their 60-minute appearances against second division club FC Südtirol.

The home team won the tournament opener against Bochum 31-2 in mid-summer temperatures of 0 degrees. FCS was particularly strong defensively against the Ruhrpott club's B team. Goalkeeper Giacomo Drago kept an excellent save, while Raphael Kofler, Andrea Masiello and new signing Nicola Pietrangeli made a solid impression in front of him. Jacopo Martini and Valerio Crespi, two other newcomers to the FCS squad, impressed. Midfielder Martini played in the center and scored the early 1-0 after a Merkaj pass, and 19-year-old center forward Crespi sealed the deal with a spectacular scissor-kick in the closing stages. Goalkeeper Timo Horn, who was only presented as a new signing by Bochum the day before, did not look good.

In the final duel with Bologna, FCS coach Federico Valente also had the team play from a stable three-man chain. The defense only wobbled once, namely after a corner in the 14th minute. This was converted by former FCS defender and Bologna's last-minute new signing Martin Erlic to make it 1-0. After that, however, it was not the Serie A players around Riccardo Orsolini and Austria's European Championship participant Stefan Posch who set the tone, but the underdog from the second division. Apart from a shot by FCS captain Fabian Tait, which went just wide of the goal, the team of new coach Vincenzo Italiano didn't allow anything.

Bochum wins the tournament

Between the two appearances of FC Südtirol, the stage was given to the guests from Bologna and Bochum - and especially their supporters. The active fan scenes of both clubs are linked by a strong friendship, so the stands in the Drusus Stadium were a mixed bag, with around 600 fans each from the Ruhr area and Emilia-Romagna. But the joint chants primarily inspired the Bundesliga team, which won the game 4-0.

The match between Bologna and Bochum was marked by a fan friendship. © VfL Bochum

New signing Ibrahima Sissoko lying down and Moritz Broschinski with a dream goal gave Bochum an early lead. After that, Bologna, who were weak in defence, were more active, but in the final phase Broschinski and Dani De Wit pushed Bochum's lead even higher. The clear result did not, however, spoil the festive mood in the Drusus Stadium.

All games, lineups and goals:

FC South Tyrol – VfL Bochum 2:0

FCS: Drago; Kofler, Masiello, Pietrangeli; Vimercati (56th Testa), Mallamo, Molina, Martini, Cisco; Crespi, Merkaj (42nd Brik)

Bochum: Horn; Kociersky, Loosli, Oermann, Gamboa; Losilla, Jahn, Pnewig (60. Koerdt); Holtmann, Bamba, Crimealdi

Gates: 1:0 Jacopo Martini (14th), 2:0 Valerio Crespi (58th)

VfL Bochum – Bologna FC 4:0

Bochum: Drewes, Masovic, Bero, Ordets, Passlack, Broschinski, Wittek, Sissoko, De Wit, Daschner, Elezi (53. Koerdt)

Bologna: Ravaglia, Ilic, Moro, De Silvestri, Beukema, Lykogiannis, Freuler, Fabbian, Orsolini, Ndoye, Dallinga

Gates: 1:0 Ibrahima Sissoko (6th), 2:0 Moritz Broschinski (9th), 3:0 Moritz Broschinski (49th), 4:0 Dani De Wit (53rd)

Bologna FC – FC Südtirol 1-0

Bologna: Skorupski, Posch, Erlic, Moro, Odgaard, Lykogiannis, Cambiaghi, Beukema, Byar, Orsolini, Dallinga

FCS: Poluzzi, Cagnano, Ceppitelli, Giorgini, Arrigoni, Tait (34th Padovani), Kurtic, Casiraghi, Rover, Zedadka (55th Testa), Odogwu

Gates: 1:0 Martin Erlic (14.)