Ferguson Overcomes Injury Woes as Bologna Achieves Historic Victory in Rome

Lewis Ferguson put his injury struggles behind him on Wednesday as he proudly lifted the Italian Cup with Bologna, marking the end of the club’s 51-year wait for a major title with a 1-0 triumph over AC Milan.

The Scotland midfielder has endured a challenging period following a cruciate ligament tear in April, an injury that robbed him of the chance to compete at EURO 2024 and sidelined him for a significant portion of this season.

Having made his return to play in November, the 25-year-old was met with further muscular setbacks that threatened to derail his recovery. However, he showed remarkable resilience and was ultimately rewarded for his efforts by leading Bologna to this historic win as their captain.

Ferguson delivered a vital performance on Wednesday night, playing with undeniable flair and tenacity at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. His emotional celebration alongside delighted teammates and tearful supporters in the stands underlined the significance of the victory.

He battled through much of the match with a bloodied nose after a collision with Rafael Leao late in the first half and had to switch out a blood-soaked shirt as Bologna clung to their narrow advantage, courtesy of Dan Ndoye’s goal in the 53rd minute.

“It’s been a tough journey, especially with the serious injury I had. I had to put in a lot of hard work for six or even seven months,” Ferguson shared with reporters post-match.

“When I finally made it back, I had to put in even more effort, only to be hit by another injury, and then another again.”

“It’s been a challenging year, but I’m over the moon to be here. We delivered a historic performance tonight.”

While Ferguson’s Scotland teammate Scott McTominay has been in the spotlight as part of a potentially Scudetto-winning Napoli side, Ferguson has been quietly excelling since his move to the Italian top tier from Aberdeen in 2022, emerging as a key figure in Bologna’s resurgence.

Making History

Ferguson played an instrumental role in Bologna’s qualification for the modern Champions League for the first time last season, aside from a brief involvement in the old European Cup back in 1964. In late 2023, he surpassed Denis Law to become Scotland’s highest goal scorer in Serie A history.

The early part of Bologna’s first season under coach Vincenzo Italiano was marred by a disappointing league phase in Europe’s elite competition. However, a turning point came with their victory over Borussia Dortmund in January, their inaugural Champions League win, which felt like lifting a trophy in itself.

Since then, Bologna have only gone from strength to strength—they remain in contention for next season’s Champions League and now have secured silverware.

“Since I arrived three years ago, we’ve made significant progress, improving our style of play and our work ethic each year,” Ferguson explained.

“Last season, we set a record points tally, achieved Champions League qualification, and now we’ve made history once more.”

Reflecting on his past, Ferguson recalled the last cup final he participated in, which ended in heartbreak against Celtic during his debut season with Aberdeen in 2018.

“This morning I revisited that match to remind myself of those feelings… I used it as motivation for tonight,” he revealed.

Bologna have two remaining matches in their Serie A campaign as they aim for Champions League qualification, sitting just two points behind fourth-placed Juventus with fixtures against Fiorentina and Genoa on the horizon.