RANGERS’ failure to make a move for Lewis Ferguson when the midfielder was starting out in the professional game with Hamilton or when he was enhancing his burgeoning reputation at Aberdeen remains a source of considerable frustration and no little bewilderment to supporters of the Ibrox club.
Even at an early age, Ferguson looked more than capable of scaling the same giddy heights which his father Derek and his uncle Barry, who had both distinguished themselves during their spells with their boyhood heroes, had in their heydays.
But no bid was, for reasons best known to those who occupied the directors’ box at the Govan giants at the time, forthcoming. He ended up taking a different career path to his famous forebears and moved overseas to Bologna in Italy three years ago. The Scotland internationalist has not looked back since.
Indeed, he now has the opportunity to emulate another Rangers great after reaching a major milestone in what has been a remarkable journey at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara this evening.
No Scottish footballer has lifted the Coppa Italia since Graeme Souness did so with Sampdoria way back in 1985.
But Ferguson, who was back in the Red and Blues squad for the first time in nearly three weeks tonight after recovering from the minor thigh injury which he picked up against Napoli earlier this month, will have the chance to lift the same piece of silverware next month.
That is no given. Bologna have to overcome AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on May 14. Their fellow Serie A side impressed in their 3-0 triumph over their city rivals Inter in the San Siro last night. The emphatic and wildly-celebrated result completed a 4-1 aggregate win.
But Vincenzo Italiano’s men are no mugs themselves. They are in fourth place in their domestic league at the moment, no fewer than five places above their future opponents, and are firmly on course to clinch an automatic Champions League qualifying spot once again next month.
They showed why against Empoli in the second leg of the semi-final here this evening. Leading 3-0 from the first leg in Tuscany at the start of the month, they wasted little time killing off what slim hopes the visitors had of staging a comeback. Giovanni Fabbian headed in a Nikola Moro cross in the sixth minute and the tie was effectively over.
Bologna will be a far more formidable outfit when Ferguson is restored to the starting line-up. The talk in the bars and on the streets of the Saragozza area of this beautiful and historic city during the build-up to this encounter was all about the Scot. The feeling was that he would not, with victory all but assured, be risked. Not with a more difficult encounter to Udinese looming on Monday.
Sure enough, the 14-times capped 25-year-old, who has been moved in to a defensive midfield role since returning from the anterior cruciate ligament injury which ruled him out of the Euro 2024 finals last summer, remained on the bench. But being listed among the substitutes augurs well for the remainder of this term.
Souness sent Sampdoria on their way to their Coppa Italia success 40 years ago when he scored the only goal of the first leg against AC Milan in the San Siro. Strikes from his team mates Robert Mancini and Gianluca Vialli finished off the job in the rematch in the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Can his compatriot have a similar impact in this season’s competition? Italiano is a huge admirer of his captain and is hopeful his comeback will lift his charges and help they to perform at a high level in their remaining fixtures. Expectations among an excited fanbase certainly seem sky high.
The Curva Giacomo Bulgarelli was packed and the Bologna Commandos, Vecchia Guarda, Forever Ultras, Mai Domi and Freak Boys ultras groups chanted, swayed, banged drums and, inevitably, set off flares and smoke bombs before, during and after the match. A late Thijs Dallinga header sent the crowd wild.
At the other end of the ground, the bare-chested Empoli Desperadoes had less to shout about. Viktor Kovalenko gave them a goal to cheer when he levelled before half-time. The final outcome, though, was always a formality given the gulf in quality between the two sides.
Liam Henderson, the former Celtic and Hibernian midfielder who started the influx of Scots to Italy when he joined Bari back in 2018, stayed on the Empoli bench until the 62nd minute. Maybe his manager Roberto D’Aversa is trying to keep him fresh for their relegation battle.
That is not something which Ferguson and Bologna need to concern themselves with after this 2-1 win and resounding 5-1 aggregate triumph.
