Vincenzo Italiano couldn’t say enough good things about Santiago Castro after Bologna’s 1-0 win away at Brann in the Europa League play-off. “Tonight, I saw a really mature performance,” he said.

Bologna couldn’t have asked for a better start in Bergen’s icy weather. Castro caught everyone off guard with a sharp, angled shot that slipped past the keeper just nine minutes in.

They had chances to add more; Orsolini and Dallinga both forced good saves. On the other end, Skorupski had to pull off a tricky double stop when Brann finally threatened.

For Italiano, this felt like a turning point. “We had to adapt; there was no way around it. We knew it’d be tough, so we checked the pitch last night, even in the dark,” he told Sky Sport Italia. When they arrived from Italy on Wednesday, the floodlights weren’t even on for their media duties.

“We couldn’t do much more than that. No sense risking injuries. We got the win, but it’s just a one-goal advantage.”

He’s already looking ahead to the return leg at the Dall’Ara. Hopefully, we do better at home. Honestly, every time we play there lately, it feels like we’re cursed.”

That away win gives Bologna a solid edge heading into Thursday’s second leg.

Things weren’t looking great for them at the start of 2026. Just two wins in fourteen matches – it was rough. Now, after beating Torino 2-1 away in Serie A and tonight’s win, they finally have some momentum.

“These two wins gave us a boost. It’s tough keeping your spirits up when you’re losing all the time and playing every three days. It chips away at the confidence you’ve built up,” Italiano said.

“Tonight, the team played with real maturity. I hope this becomes our standard. Start with the right attitude, and stay focused. We’re not giving up as many chances now, and that’s the difference. We have to keep that up.”

Castro’s on fire too; he’s scored in three straight games and made a point of celebrating with his coach tonight.

“Santi brings something special. He’s hungry. You see it at every training session, every minute he’s on the pitch. He’s even talking football on the bus,” Italiano said.

“It’s a joy to work with young players who are this hungry and willing to help the team. I’m thrilled he’s scoring consistently now.

“He’s so mature for his age. As a centre-forward, he sacrifices a lot for the team off the ball. I always tell him that hard work pays off. Just keep at it.”

Back in November, when these teams faced off in the group stage, it finished 0-0. Bologna had more chances, even with ten men for over an hour. That draw stung; they barely missed out on direct qualification for the Europa League Round of 16.

“We played a tough match against Torino last week because we couldn’t afford another slip-up,” Italiano said.

“These guys showed focus, grit, and a willingness to sacrifice. That's all I want from now until the end of the season. We’ve paid dearly for mistakes and slipped in the Serie A standings, but we can turn things around, especially at home.”

Victor Osimhen, now playing for Galatasaray, opened up about his life and football journey in a piece for The Player’s Tribune. He talked about how Luciano Spalletti became “like a father” to him during his early days at Napoli, right after he left Lille, a really tough period in his life.

In his story, “A Prayer From the Gutter,” he goes all the way back to his childhood in Nigeria. He played barefoot in the streets, hustled to help support his family, and faced a crushing rejection before finally catching his big break. It’s a raw, emotional read, and you can tell how much his time in Naples meant to him.

Osimhen described how, while he was at Lille, transfer talks kept him from going home to be with his dying father at the start of the COVID pandemic. That experience nearly made him quit football for good. “I was so disgusted by how the club ran things,” he said, “I actually thought about never playing football again.”

“When I left Lille, I was lost,” Osimhen admitted. “When I came to Napoli, I was found. I owe everything to the city, the fans, and my teammates. They turned my life around.”

He remembers sitting down with Spalletti right after arriving. “I told him, ‘I am not well. I am very angry right now. Very sad. My head is not straight.’” Spalletti didn’t just listen; he pushed Osimhen hard. “He was like a father to me. If I messed up, he’d let me know. But he believed in me, deep down. He thought I could be the best in the world.”

The work ethic at Napoli was intense. Osimhen describes it almost like military life. “We couldn’t even complain,” he said, “because Spalletti was there all the time. The man actually slept in his office for five months. He had a wife at home, but he stayed with us, even sleeping on a little army cot.”

And before big games, Spalletti would remind the players just what was at stake. “He’d say, ‘If you win the title, people will talk about me for a few years. But you? They’ll remember you until you’re old men.’”

Looking back, Osimhen sums up his Napoli experience in a single line: “Winning any title is special. But winning a Scudetto for Napoli after 33 years? That’s real history. That’s why I choose the teams I choose.”

So why leave Napoli, and why pick Galatasaray? Osimhen hears the question all the time. “So many people told me not to go to Turkey. They called me crazy. Even a former agent said, ‘Don’t do it. It’s not smart.’ But I follow my heart. After the emotion of Napoli, I couldn’t just pick any club. That would be boring. I wanted a club with top-level passion. Galatasaray fits that. These are people who live and breathe football, just like I do.”