THE ITALIAN CONNECTION
Ferguson, Henderson and Doig are aiming to emulate success of Hickey on Serie A stage
TItalian clubs took time to expand their scouting to Scotland
he stocks of Peroni, pizza and panini have been replenished. Serie A is ready to go again. There will be more of a tartan flavour than ever before, however, with a record three Scots starting the 2022/23 campaign in Italy’s top flight.
Lewis Ferguson and Josh Doig have joined empoli’s Liam henderson in the division after completing moves to Bologna and hellas Verona respectively — and hopes are high for the two youngsters following Aaron hickey’s success in Serie A.
It took some time for Italian clubs to expand their scouting empires north of hadrian’s Wall, but things have changed in recent years.
Before 2018, the only male Scottish players to have competed in Serie A were Denis Law, Joe Jordan and Graeme Souness.
henderson’s move to Bari in January 2018 was followed by hickey joining Bologna in 2020. And the full-back’s great success at the Renato Dall’Ara — he was one of the best young players in the league last season, scoring five goals from wing-back — could well be a catalyst for future moves, judging by this summer’s activity.
‘Aaron opened up a new path,’ Bologna sporting director Marco
Di Vaio said at Ferguson’s presentation.
The reported £3million fees paid for 20-year-old Doig and 22-year-old Ferguson represent good business for their new employers, while other Scots like Celtic’s Stephen Welsh and new Liverpool full-back Calvin Ramsay attracted interest from Italian clubs earlier this year.
The continuation of the pathway from Scotland to Italy could depend, of course, on how well the two new arrivals fare.
Ferguson’s arrival has prompted intrigue in Bologna, not least because of hickey, who was signed
from hearts for £1.5m and sold to Brentford for £17m in the space of two eye-catching years.
‘The memory of hickey is still alive and positive,’ DAZN journalist Alessio De Giuseppe told Sportsmail. ‘When Ferguson arrived, the fans here said straight away that Scotland remains a guarantee and, if he’s even half as good as hickey, then we can relax.’
One thing Ferguson will find at Bologna is a settled environment. Manager Sinisa Mihajlovic is entering a fifth season in charge, although the Serbian is bravely battling leukaemia while he works — he returned to the touchline for a win over Cosenza on Monday after three months of treatment.
Last season, the Rossoblu achieved a solid 13th-place finish, and they begin the new campaign with the explicit objective of reaching 50 points.
The squad hasn’t undergone major changes and Ferguson has slotted in to replace Swede Mattias Svanberg, who joined Wolfsburg.
The good news for the former Dons favourite is that Mihajlovic’s preferred 3-5-2 formation allows for three central midfield spots, but there will be tough competition for places from the likes of Jerdy Schouten, Nico Dominguez, Roberto Soriano and Michel Aebischer.
‘We will have to wait and see if Ferguson is technically at the level of Serie A, but let’s say that the initial signs have been positive,’ De Giuseppe added.
‘Mihajlovic isn’t afraid to play young players, which is good. In a midfield with Dominguez and Schouten, he has a lot to learn. But I think we will see him play more often than expected.’
Ferguson won’t be seen immediately, however, as he has to sit out Bologna’s opener at Lazio tomorrow because of a suspension that has rolled over from last season at Aberdeen.
Doig’s start to life in Italy began with a baffling announcement video, where he pulled on a blazer to the sound of the Bond theme, before telling the camera: ‘The name’s Doig … Josh Doig’.
There has been a change at the top in Verona this year, with new coach Gabriele Cioffi coming in after Igor Tudor joined Marseille on the back of an impressive ninthplace finish last season.
Verona have been clear they are thinking long term by handing the defender a five-year deal.
‘Doig has a powerful engine and he’s an investment for the future,’ said Cioffi. ‘Obviously he will need time. But he can now bring a bit of youth and freshness to an experienced squad.’
Doig name-checked Roma and Italy wingback Leonardo Spinazzola as a role model at his unveiling, ahead of his fight for a place in Cioffi’s 3-5-2 formation.
‘Doig could be deputising for Darko Lazovic on the left side of that fiveman midfield,’ Verona-based Scottish author Rick hough told Sportsmail. ‘Offensive fullbacks in this role have been a hallmark of Verona’s style of play in recent seasons — hopefully Josh can continue in that tradition.’ Unfortunately, like Ferguson, Doig may not be seen in action just yet after hitting some administrative snags at the start of his new life in Italy. ‘Josh hasn’t yet had the chance to make much of an impact locally,’ hough added. ‘My understanding is that there has been a delay with his work permit, so he’s been sidelined for the pre-season friendlies and for the first-round Coppa Italia defeat against Bari last Sunday. hopefully those problems can get resolved quickly.’ While there are plenty of unknowns around how quickly Doig and Ferguson will settle, there’s little doubt that henderson will be heavily involved again at empoli. The former Celtic and hibs midfielder featured in all 38 of the Tuscan side’s Serie A games last season and he should again be regularly spotted in their engine room.
There has been a coaching change at empoli, with Paolo Zanetti replacing Aurelio Andreazzoli at the Stadio Carlo Castellani, but the new boss is expected to continue playing the same 4-3-1-2 system that provides henderson with plenty of opportunities for game time.
At the top of Serie A, the bookies’ title favourites are unsurprisingly AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus — the last three Italian champions.
Milan have largely kept their title-winning squad together, while adding the likes of Belgian youngster Charles De Ketelaere and former Liverpool super sub Divock Origi.
Inter have brought back Romelu Lukaku and Juventus have strengthened their core with Gleison Bremer, Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria.
Jose Mourinho’s Roma made the biggest headlines after adding Paulo Dybala on a free transfer.
Nemanja Matic and Georginio Wijnaldum have also come in to add more experience as the
europa Conference League winners aim to end a four-year wait for Champions League qualification — or even better.