Vincenzo Italiano’s Bologna were officially knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday, and yet when he appeared on Sky Sport Italia after his team’s 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, he was applauded by esteemed pundits such as Fabio Capello and Zvonimir Boban.
“We are eliminated but it feels like we won a quarter-final or a semi-final!” a visibly ecstatic Italiano claimed. “These lads wanted this win at all costs and I’m so happy it’s beyond words. It’s a dream come true.”
For Nuri Sahin, though, it was a nightmare. His side hadn’t been eliminated, but they had been humiliated, last season’s runners-up not just beaten but outplayed and outfought by a team that had never previously won a game in the tournament.
Given Dortmund had gone into the game at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on the back of three consecutive Bundesliga defeats, everyone knew what was coming next – and Sahin was subsequently sacked as BVB boss shortly after returning to the team’s hotel in Bologna.
So, what on earth has gone wrong for Dortmund since very nearly upsetting Real Madrid at Wembley just over six months ago? And will the German giants’ problems suddenly be solved by a change of coach?