The postponement of Bologna - Milan has sparked debate, not only because the game has been rescheduled to an undetermined date (most likely in February), but also because this decision has had direct consequences on Paulo Fonseca's team’s next crucial league match.
Against Napoli, Milan will be without two key players, Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders, who were supposed to serve their suspensions in the game at the Dell'Ara.
This decision, however, since it was made by the mayor of Bologna, Simone Lepore, could set significant precedents. This morning, Il Corriere dello Sport revealed the actions taken by Bologna president Joey Saputo, which blocked both the Lega and Milan, who had worked between Thursday and Friday to find a mutually beneficial solution for playing this match.
Bologna's Joey Saputo blocked all possible solutions:
Many believe that the postponement of Bologna-Milan was solely due to the important, decisive decision made by Mayor Lepore. However, Saputo’s role was also significant. According the newspaper, the Bologna president "called Claudio Fenucci, who at that time was attending the Lega Assembly in Milan. What did he tell him? Roughly, he informed him that out of respect for the suffering Bologna community, the team would not play in any other stadium. And it didn’t matter if the Lega council members, who had to make a decision, were not willing to reconsider, and thereby penalise Bologna with a 3-0 forfeit."
Meanwhile, Milan and the Lega were trying to find solutions to play the match at a neutral venue behind closed doors.
This insistence led Fenucci, who had been explaining Bologna’s challenges diplomatically and calmly, to firmly underscore the immense logistical difficulties the city and the club would face in organizing a last-minute away game.
AC Milan's president Paolo Scaroni tried to find a solution:
Considering the circumstances affecting Bologna, AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni could have avoided his critical comments at the end of the Council. He showed two particular stances, however, during the meeting. First, as a stakeholder, he chose to abstain from the vote.
Secondly, Il Corriere dello Sport continues, Scaroni suggested that Milan would have been willing to play the game behind closed doors, while also expressing that the club would donate half of the projected ticket proceeds (around €500,000) to the victims of the disaster, about €250,000. But, all attempts failed.
