Bologna head coach Thiago Motta praised his side for their performance during the 2-2 draw with AC Milan in which he was shown a red card, while also addressing his future.
It is very much a feeling of two points dropped for Milan after a dramatic game at San Siro which saw three penalties given, two of them missed, a red card for Motta and a lead thrown away at the end.
Joshua Zirkzee gave the visitors the lead in the first half and Olivier Giroud saw a penalty saved before Ruben Loftus-Cheek equalised just before the break.
Theo Hernandez then hit the post with a second-half spot kick, Loftus-Cheek looked like he’d won it with a header and yet Bologna escaped with a point as Orsolini buried an added time penalty.
Thiago Motta spoke to DAZN after the game to try and assess what was a game full of drama, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.
For the third time this season, Bologna leave San Siro with a smile…
“It’s the result of daily work and the boys who always prepare to the maximum. Great defensive responsibility, great courage with the ball. The boys showed quality, heart, running for each other. This always gives me great satisfaction.”
How important are the mentality and daily work?
“We have the ambition to play every match to win. The guys know that we have this possibility. Today there were many fans who came for us.
“This is because the players work a lot, during the week I have guys who work well and seriously, with great commitment.
“When the games come they are ready and have confidence in themselves and their team-mates. Coming to San Siro and playing like this… We can only congratulate them.”
What about Zirkzee?
“I don’t like comparing him to others, Joshua has to be Joshua. He is a boy who plays well, has a technical, physical quality… he has a human quality, of loving and making himself loved… he drags others along.
“There are times when he wants to do too much with the ball, but he has a spirit… You should see him in training, it gives you the pleasure of working with him. Positive, selfless, it’s hard to find.
“We are lucky to have this guy on our side. Alongside him, he has teammates who have this spirit and try to improve the team.”
Xavi will leave Barcelona…
“I live in the present and my present is only Bologna. I’m fine here. I’m enjoying this moment, it’s fantastic also thanks to our fans. I think about today and everything else matters very little.”
What about the penalty incidents?
“I’m not talking about the referee. I do not want to talk. I can’t understand why. It is Sartori who must speak, and if he doesn’t it’s because everything is fine with him. I only talk about my team.”
That penalty “incident” was justified,it was really a joke penalty and every coach would go crazy,now every play can put head down ,up to 50cm from grass and ask for penalty
Absolutely agree, it was a cheap penalty given to us lets be honest. But Karma hit us on the first penalty
Dude?! Maybe it was an easy penalty but you’re wrong. If it was his foot and the Bologna player touch it it was the same. It doesn’t matter it was the head or the foot. Maybe it makes you think it was because he was hit in the head but no, it would be the same if it was the foot 🙂
The way he was booed when he saw the red card it makes me don’t even can Imagine his Interista face on our BENCH! F – HIM!