Bologna midfielder Giovanni Fabbian has called out his own dressing room ahead of Celtic’s trip to Italy, demanding his teammates stop hiding when things go against them.
Celtic head to Bologna for Thursday’s Europa League tie, with the home side short on confidence and short on results. The Italians come into the game on the back of a Serie A defeat to Fiorentina, part of a run that has exposed issues Fabbian did not try to dress up.
The 23-year-old has been one of Bologna’s standout performers and has been linked with a big-money move to Lazio during the window. For now, he is keeping his focus on Thursday night and what he sees as a moment of truth for his side.
Bologna have won just one of their last seven matches. That sequence began with defeat to Napoli in the Italian Super Cup final and has dragged on through inconsistent league form and European frustration.
Fabbian was blunt about what went wrong at the weekend and what cannot be repeated against Celtic. He said (The Herald):
“We had the wrong approach for the game against Fiorentina. We prepared well for it, but failed to replicate what we did in training.
“We can’t disappear on the pitch like that.”
Fabbian made it clear the problem was not tactical confusion or bad luck, but a collective failure to impose themselves when it mattered.
He added: “We have to work hard and improve on what we were able to do until recently and are now failing. We’re all united to get it right.
“In football, there are periods when things go well and other times when they don’t. The important thing is to stick together.
“We did at least get a reaction in the second half, and we need to carry that forward to our next game against Celtic.”
That sense of unity will be tested by a Celtic side who, despite their own European frustrations, remain right in the mix for playoff qualification. Celtic sit 24th in the Europa League standings, four points behind Bologna in 13th, and know a positive result would change the picture quickly.
Bologna are currently eighth in Serie A, but league position has done little to mask the unease around recent performances. For Celtic, that opens a door, though one that’s being overlooked due to a poor transfer window.
The Hoops need signings in the door; that much has been made obvious. The squad looks bereft of the quality needed to perform on the European stage.
Celtic will arrive knowing exactly what kind of opponent they are facing. A side capable of quality, but one currently questioning itself. This marks Martin O’Neill’s first Europa League match in charge since their landmark away win over Feyenoord in November.
If he can replicate anything similar to that in Italy, then a statue should immediately be built on the Celtic Way.
