\u201cI\u2019ve found a different Serie A football; now even the smaller teams are more equipped; technology is helping everyone, and everyone is organised,\u201d the Italian said.<\/p>
\u201cThere\u2019s never an easy game, at any level, from race for survival to Europe.\u201d<\/p>
The first leg between Roma and Bologna will be played at the Dall\u2019Ara this coming Thursday, but the Giallorossi will be without Paulo Dybala, a former teammate of Bernardeschi at Juventus.<\/p>
\u201cI\u2019m sorry for Paulo, I\u2019d have been happy to challenge him, even if it\u2019s always better not to play against his left foot,\u201d admitted Bernardeschi.<\/p>
\u201cBut I\u2019ll be glad to see many Azzurri friends. When I joined Juventus, I asked if I could get the no. 10. They said I was too young and should have waited a year. Then Dybala took it, who was already in his third year. I would have preferred to face a foreign club, because, as an Italian, I\u2019d have been happier to see two Italian teams go as far as possible.\u201d<\/p> Bernardeschi\u2019s move to Bologna raised eyebrows over the summer, with some in the media suggesting he was no longer suitable for Italian football after such a long spell in Canada.<\/p> Bernardeschi, on the other hand, has scored five goals and provided one assist in 32 appearances and has never had doubts about his ability to make an impact at the Dall\u2019Ara.<\/p> \u201cI know myself. I didn\u2019t go to Canada to take a walk in the park,\u201d he said.<\/p> \u201cI put maximum commitment into everything I do, even if I admit money influenced my decision for 80%, and the remaining 20% was a life choice. I\u2019ve always trained and cared for my body meticulously. I\u2019ve learned from Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus how to be a professional in all aspects and be a great professional. In Bologna, I took a month to readjust. I suffered a knee injury and was forced to skip pre-season. But my physical figures were high in the MLS, and I knew I was competitive.\u201d<\/p> Bernardeschi could have even played under Gasperini at Atalanta.<\/p> \u201cHe called me before moving to Toronto, and I was tempted, but then I made a different choice. I don\u2019t regret it, but I would have loved to work with him; I knew I could add a piece to my career,\u201d the winger concluded.<\/p> \u201cRoma looked for me when I was at Juventus, but I said no. I was happy in Turin, and I still have a house there, where I\u2019m Yildiz\u2019s neighbour.\u201d<\/p>![\"BOLOGNA,](\"https:\/\/icdn.football-italia.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Federico-Bernardeschi-Thorsteinsson-414x276.jpg\")
![\"BOLOGNA,](\"https:\/\/icdn.football-italia.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bologna-fc-1909-v-udinese-calcio-3-414x276.jpg\")