BOLOGNA, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 28: A general view inside the stadium before the Serie A match between Bologna and Atalanta at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on September 28, 2024 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
There is still uncertainty about the Bologna-Milan game as although the Stadio Dall’Ara is unavailable due to extreme weather conditions, Serie A could still play it on a neutral pitch.
The Week 9 game was scheduled for Saturday 26 October and started at 5pm UK time (4pm GMT).
However, local authorities announced this evening that the game cannot take place as the Stadio Dall’Ara is located in a “critical area” of the city, which is being closed due to extreme weather warnings.
The Emilia-Romagna region, and particularly Bologna, has experienced flash flooding in recent days due to heavy rain, and another storm front is expected on Saturday.
Bologna and Milan are looking for other alternatives
This becomes a potential problem for the clubs as both Bologna and Milan also play in the Champions League and Coppa Italia, so rescheduling will be difficult.
One solution, according to the ANSA news agency, could be to play this weekend’s game on a neutral pitch and behind closed doors.
Lega Serie A has still not made a formal announcement about the match, although local authorities have confirmed that it will not be played at the Stadio Dall’Ara.
This could give them time to stage the game elsewhere and confirmation of the plan is expected tomorrow.
It would be particularly good for Milan to reschedule this weekend, as a postponement would mean that the suspensions of Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders would apply to the big game against Napoli instead.