Incredible story told by “Il Corriere di Bologna” starring a Bologna fan who believed in his favorite team since the start of the championship.
At the start of the season, the chances of Bologna qualifying for the Champions League were evidently low, considering the skepticism not only from key figures such as the manager, sporting director and president, but also from the players themselves. However, this fan saw something special in the team and decided to bet on it.
His 10 euro investment turned into a 1,000 euro win, demonstrating not only remarkable faith in his team, but also remarkable intuition. Stories like this are a beautiful example of how football can surprise and inspire, and how passion and hope can sometimes lead to extraordinary results, against all odds.
Yes, because the Eurobet betting company had quoted Skorupski and his companions to win a place in the empyrean of 100-a-side football. And he tried. That man is Dino Schiavoni, 70 years old, a pensioner from Castel Maggiore with a mad desire to have fun: «I’ll say it straight away – he begins – I’m not a gambler. At most, together with my brother I make three or four bets worth two and a half euros in a year.” So what was the driving force that pushed him to the insane act? «In reality – he tells us, looking out from his garage – I was looking for someone who could estimate Bologna’s qualification for the Europa League. I looked around a bit, but couldn’t find anything. Until they told me there was the possibility of aiming for the Champions League and at that point I took the plunge.”
The pensioner: «I trusted the results of the last championship»
Behind the choice to bet on Thiago Motta’s team, however, there is not only a gamble, but also a considered reasoning: «Last year Bologna finished with 54 points with him – he explains – I simply said to myself that starting from the first day, with a team of his own, he could have made it to Europe.”
The story of Dino Schiavoni: from the bar to the committee in via Carracci
Schiavoni, who owned a bar in via Carracci, did not lack initiative. During the years of the construction of the new high-speed station he put himself at the head of a committee that asked for the rights of those who lived and worked in the area to be respected. Once he retired he discovered he was a fan of Banksy, the mysterious artist from Bristol who covered half the world with provocative graffiti, and armed with colored stones, glue and patience he decided to replicate dozens of his works which are now on display at the interior of his garage.
«Next year I’ll try again with the Europa League»
This is a space that over time has become a meeting and chatting point for those who pass by. Now, however, there is nothing left to do but collect and enjoy the winnings, a success that also sounds like revenge towards his brother: «When I bet – he says – he told me that I would have done better to give those ten euros to the poor. Now he has suffered the blow. What will I do with that money? They’re all already invested”, he jokes and gives a good laugh. But what will happen next year? Are you aiming for the championship? «No, I’ll try again with the Europa League – he comments – in my opinion this time they’ll have the quota».
