Bologna-Milan uncertain due to bad weather, Theo and Reijnders could serve their suspensions against Napoli | OneFootball

Stadio Renato Dall’Ara before Bologna-Shakhtar Donetsk on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Milan may not play on Saturday in Bologna due to heavy rains, and there are several options on the table.

After the 3-1 win in the Champions League against Club Brugge on Tuesday, Milan were getting ready to face Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Saturday. However, this the match may not be taking place, or at least not at the Dall’Ara.

The Mayor of Bologna, Matteo Lepore, after consulting with the policy and other governing officials signed today an ordinance ordering the suspension of the match. The reason is rain forecasts and the ongoing situation with serious floodings which have been affecting Bologna.

35,000 fans are supposed to arrive for the match and Lepore ruled that this would create public order issues due to the presence of visiting fans and the traffic closures around the area from the early afternoon until late at night.

However, Lepore, as it turns out, doesn’t actually have the power to cancel the match. Tomorrow (Friday) there will be a meeting with the Prefect of Bologna to understand what can be done: both teams and Lega Serie A would like the match to be played and at the moment there are three options:

Paulo Fonseca during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

In case it’s cancelled, it’s not clear when the match can be played, as both Milan and Bologna have extremely busy schedules: they participate in the Champions League. As reported by Milannews.it, there is no room in the calendar at least until late February or March, provided that both Milan and Bologna continue their journeys in Europe and in the Coppa Italia.

In theory, the first available date is January 15, but that date was initially reserved for making up games postponed due to the Supercoppa. The first week without midweek commitments for both teams falls between December 15 and 21, but Milan is already scheduled to play Genoa on December 15 and Verona on December 20. This would require all three matches to be rescheduled.

Theo Hernández during training at Milanello. (@acmilan.com)

In addition to the scheduling issues, this would also cause a sporting headache for Paulo Fonseca who would have to play without Theo Hernández and Tijjani Reijnders in next Tuesday’s match at San Siro against Napoli. The two are supposed to serve their bans against Bologna.

Tomorrow morning an official decision will be made. Davide Calabria has returned to group training, while Tammy Abraham and Luka Jović are still out.