Bologna’s draw with Torino has left a sour note around Casteldebole, but Gianluca Pagliuca believes the club should resist turning a difficult spell into a verdict on Lukasz Skorupski. The former Italy goalkeeper has urged patience with the Polish international after mistakes that have contributed to costly dropped points against Atalanta and Torino.
Pagliuca, now involved with Bologna’s youth set-up, accepts that Skorupski has not begun the campaign at his usual level. Yet he points to the goalkeeper’s experience, personality and record in the red and blue shirt, arguing that two damaging errors should not erase what he has achieved for the club.
“He has made Bologna history and I am convinced he will come through it,” Pagliuca said. “He has not started as well as in previous years, but he has the experience and charisma to recover over time.”
Confidence in Skorupski despite recent mistakes
The two incidents against Atalanta and Torino have been linked to four points Bologna might otherwise have kept. Pagliuca did not minimise their impact, but placed them in the broader reality of a Serie A season in which goalkeeping errors are regularly punished.
He also recalled the physical problems Skorupski endured last season. In Pagliuca’s view, returning immediately to full sharpness after such a difficult year is particularly demanding for a goalkeeper in his mid-thirties.
The long international break could therefore arrive at a helpful moment. Pagliuca expects Skorupski to use the pause to reset, rather than allow criticism and social-media reaction to define his form.
“Every great goalkeeper has had a period like this,” he said. “The important thing is to start again, focus on yourself and have the strength of character not to be distracted. He has that strength.”
Pagliuca does not believe Bologna need to enter the January market for a new goalkeeper. He sees the current hierarchy as one in which Skorupski remains capable of responding, while Nicolò Pessina represents a serious option for the future.
Pessina’s call-up offers Bologna encouragement
Pessina’s recent call-up by Roberto Mancini has given the club’s youth department another reason for pride. Pagliuca knew a few days before the official announcement that the goalkeeper would be selected, but chose not to spoil the news for him.
He described the call-up as deserved recognition and an opportunity for Pessina to be assessed by the national-team staff. For those at Bologna who watched his development, Pagliuca said, it is an achievement shared by the wider city as well as the player.
The youngster may receive opportunities under Raffaele Palladino in the coming months. Bologna’s decision to keep him rather than send him out on loan is regarded as a sign of the club’s faith, while working behind Skorupski could aid his progress.
Still, Pagliuca offered the traditional goalkeeper’s conclusion: status will ultimately be settled on the pitch.
Ravaglia’s departure and the coaching change
Federico Ravaglia’s summer departure remains part of the wider reshaping of Bologna’s goalkeeping department. Pagliuca said Ravaglia had told him that he wanted an experience away from the club, having grown tired of being a reserve and eager for regular football.
Ravaglia had suffered some errors last season and may also have sensed that Bologna were moving in another direction. Pagliuca nevertheless expects him to have the chance to do well in England.
He also addressed the departure of Tedesco, suggesting that the relationship never properly clicked at any level. Bologna were not satisfied, while Palladino was available, and the club moved quickly rather than risk missing the coach.
Pagliuca attended Palladino’s first match in charge against Torino and felt Bologna had handled much of the contest well. After Federico Bernardeschi scored, the home side managed the game effectively, in his assessment, but failed to finish it off before Torino’s equaliser made the afternoon feel disappointing.
Even so, he expects the team to respond after the break.
Palmisani earns Pagliuca’s attention
Beyond Bologna, Pagliuca identified Palmisani as a young Italian goalkeeper worth following. He was struck by the player’s saves at the weekend and said the early-season performances had exceeded his own expectations.
Pagliuca had previously watched Palmisani at Primavera level without forming such a strong impression. His start to the senior campaign has changed that assessment, placing him among the emerging goalkeeping profiles to watch.
For Bologna, however, the immediate question remains Skorupski. Pagliuca’s message is clear: a goalkeeper with his history and standing should be judged by the response he produces, not only by the errors that have made this opening stretch difficult.
