Bologna sporting director Marco Di Vaio admits that he would have ‘most popular to keep away from’ an all-Italian draw within the Europa League spherical of 16, particularly in opposition to Roma, whom he claims are ‘the most effective sides in Italy’.
Roma and Bologna have been drawn in opposition to one another within the Europa League spherical of 16 following the knock-out stage draw, which came about on the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.
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Di Vaio reacts to Bologna vs. Roma draw
Europa League trophy (Picture by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP) (Picture by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Roma and Bologna are the one two Italian sides competing within the Europa League in 2025-26, and now, just one will qualify for the quarter-finals in April.
Reporters in Switzerland have been excited by the prospect of an all-Italian spherical of 16 draw, which is already being billed as an thrilling tie for the impartial, however Di Vaio insists that he would have most popular to face a non-Italian aspect within the subsequent spherical.
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“Roma are a fantastic group, however we’ll lose a little bit of European ‘flavour’,” Di Vaio Sky Sport Italia after the draw.
“As a participant, I performed in an (all-Italian) last with Juventus. We might have most popular to keep away from it for lots of causes, together with the emotional facet. We’ll put together effectively. It might have been a fantastic problem in opposition to Freiburg as effectively. We’ll see what occurs.”
Di Vaio believes that Roma are one of many strongest sides in Italy, however he additionally believes that Bologna are in a very good place to face the problem after overcoming a troubling run of kind over the new-year interval.
ROME, ITALY – AUGUST 23: Gamers, match officers and mascots line up previous to the Serie A match between AS Roma and Bologna FC 1909 at Stadio Olimpico on August 23, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Picture by Paolo Bruno/Getty Photographs)
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“We’re recovering after a troublesome interval, particularly by way of outcomes. We care rather a lot concerning the Europa League, we all know it will probably carry us an enormous increase. Up till now, we’ve had an excellent event, the final video games in opposition to Brann have been performed rather well.
“Now we have now to face the most effective sides in Italy, who’ve a whole lot of enthusiasm and have discovered that striker they have been lacking. Having mentioned that, we all know that we’re a tough group to face, too.”