Bologna’s decision to turn the page has brought Raffaele Palladino to the Dall’Ara at a delicate point in their season. Four consecutive matches without a win ended Domenico Tedesco’s spell, and Sunday’s meeting with Torino will mark Palladino’s first game in charge of the Rossoblù.
The former Fiorentina and Atalanta coach inherits a group that is largely available for his opening fixture. Artem Dovbyk is the only absentee, having suffered a minor problem in the hamstring area, but Palladino has been able to welcome back Oussama El Azzouzi, Nadir Zortea, Riccardo Orsolini and Happonen.
A 26-man squad has been selected for the Torino match, with Bologna’s new coach beginning his work in front of a home crowd that will expect an immediate response after the recent run without victory.
The call-up includes goalkeepers Happonen, Pessina and Lukasz Skorupski; defenders Casale, Lorenzo De Silvestri, Heggem, Helland, Emil Holm, Miranda, Rahim, Theate, Vitik and Zortea; midfielders Amondarain, El Azzouzi, Lewis Ferguson, Libra, Moro, Mbangula, Odgaard, Orsolini, Pobega and Federico Bernardeschi; and forwards Nicolò Cambiaghi, Enem and Roberto Piccoli.
For Palladino, the Torino game is more than a debut. It is the first opportunity to give Bologna a new direction after a difficult month, with the Dall’Ara becoming the setting for the club’s attempt to restore momentum.
