Bologna midfield star Lewis Ferguson opens up about life in Italy, his recent contract extension with the Rossoblu and the imminent start of a new Serie A campaign in an exclusive interview with Football Italia’s Stephen Kasiewicz.
Ferguson made a stunning impact in a breakthrough first season in Serie A. The Scottish international scored seven times in 32 appearances for the Rossoblu as he adapted seamlessly to the Italian top flight after four years at Aberdeen.
Yet rather than sit back and reflect on a campaign to remember, the 23-year-old is determined to push himself even further this term.
Talented, motivated and eager to become a more complete player, Ferguson believes Bologna are capable of another top-half finish after placing ninth last season.
Countless players have crumbled under the pressure of playing in Italy, yet the young Scot embraced the challenge and excelled under Bologna coach Thiago Motta.
Ferguson became a fan favourite at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara as he thrived in an advanced midfield role.
A sublime curler against Sassuolo was voted Serie A goal of the month for November 2022, while a last-minute winner at Lecce rounded off a year stacked full of high points.
“I always believe in myself, I am a very positive person,” Ferguson says in an exclusive interview with Football Italia.
“When I moved here I believed I would grow and progress and become a better player.
“I wasn’t massively surprised that I had a really good season,” he continues.
“I wanted to show what I could do in Serie A and it was everything that I wanted it to be. The atmosphere at games has been incredible, non-stop singing at home, it has been fantastic. It’s such a passionate football country, they love the game.
“I have loved playing in front of our home fans and it has been a great experience to go away to some of the big stadiums like the San Siro and the Maradona when they are packed. I only got on the pitch for six or seven minutes in my debut at the San Siro.
“You never ever forget your debut. I have not forgotten my first-ever games for Hamilton or Aberdeen. I will not forget my one for Bologna.
“It was special to make it in such a big stadium and on such a big stage. In terms of highlights from last season, there was my goal against Sassuolo and our one-nil win against Inter at home would probably stand out as one of the best performances we had.”
Another one that stood out was the goal against Lecce in the last game of the season.
“We had just conceded to make it 2-2 and there was maybe 20 seconds left,” recalls the Scotland international.
“It was literally the last kick of the season and it was the winning goal.
“It was incredible to see it hit the back of the net.”
The stats matter for Ferguson who was only three goals away from emulating Denis Law’s 10 goals for Torino in the 1961-62 season.
The former Manchester United legend is still the highest Scottish goalscorer at the top level of Italian football, although only a select few including Graeme Souness (Sampdoria), Joe Jordan (Milan and Hellas Verona), Liam Henderson (Hellas Verona and Empoli), Aaron Hickey (Bologna) and Josh Doig (Hellas Verona) have featured in Serie A.
Ferguson adds: “To get seven goals was excellent, as it’s a difficult league, there are so many good teams and good players.
“I think in the, modern day you need to have numbers to your game if you are a midfielder, especially as I have been playing in a more attacking position.
“You need to have a return, you can’t just perform and have no goals and no assists.
“It is something I have always thought about in my game. Even when I was in Scotland, I needed my numbers to be high.
“The most important thing is helping the team, it’s a really close-knit group and we are looking to kick on.”
Ferguson wants to build on an encouraging first year at Bologna and is ready to work on every aspect of his performance this term.
“I want to be better, grow as a player and improve on everything,” the 23-year-old says.
“You can improve in every part of your game no matter who you are.
“My personal target is just to be better, it’s as simple as that.
“For the team, we want to improve, we had a great season last year and finished really high in the table.
“We just missed out on the European spots which was disappointing but I think everybody was content with how we played. It was a really enjoyable season and we had excellent results.
“There is a real feel-good factor about the club and it is just about continuing that into this season.
“We’re hoping that we can improve and keep on getting better and better.”
A collection of Italy’s top clubs were credited with an interest in the Bologna midfielder.
Although aware of the incessant speculation surrounding his future, the Scottish international was able to block out the background noise before signing a new deal with the Rossoblu last month.
The neverending rumour mill connected Ferguson with moves to reigning champions Napoli, Milan, Juventus, and Lazio after a superb opening campaign in Italy.
Instead, he inked an extension to stay at Bologna until the summer of 2027 and it was a straightforward decision to stay in Emilia-Romagna for the 23-year-old.
“In Scotland, I was used to it at Aberdeen,” Ferguson notes.
“In every window, there was speculation online, in social media and newspapers.
“Of course, you see it now and again because people send it to you or show it to you, and that’s fine.
“I don’t think it helps. You might think deeply about what might be or what might happen.
“Speculation generally doesn’t mean anything to me. I see it every now and then, but I let it go over the top of my head.
“When I spoke to the club about signing a new deal, it was really easy and smooth. I have a good relationship with the club, I enjoy living here and I was delighted when they offered me a new contract.
“It shows that they trust me and they want to continue working with me which is always nice. It was good for all parties. I was really happy to sign the extension.”
The unique tactical challenges of playing in Serie A test even the most experienced players in Europe.
The Italian top flight is known among the big five leagues for its intricately planned strategies and schemes.
Ferguson’s versatility helped in adjusting to a new outlook and approach after four seasons in the Scottish Premiership at Aberdeen.
“I can only compare it to my time in Scotland,” he says.
“Over here in Italy, it is a lot more tactical, it is really specific and there are a lot of fine details.
“It’s been enjoyable, it helps you learn and understand the game. Football games are decided by small margins and I think that’s why they go into so much detail in Italy and they take pride in it.
“It is the fine details that can get you over the line in a game.
“We don’t get individual-specific stuff, but as a team our training week will be fully prepared around the game and the opponent we are playing.
“It’s good to understand certain ways of playing and how to play against different teams and set-ups, it’s essential. It has helped me massively.”
Bologna coach Thiago Motta deployed Ferguson as an offensive midfielder last term, but he is ready to contribute wherever required in the forthcoming campaign.
“I am quite comfortable in any midfield role,” the Scot argues.
“Whether that’s the number 6 in front of the back four, which I played a lot in Scotland, the traditional box-to-box number 8 or even in behind the strikers, supporting them.
“The manager has been great, he has used me as an attacking threat going forward. In Italy, you have to defend, everybody in the team is a defender when we don’t have the ball.
“The positions are different in and out of possession, but I am learning every day. I don’t have a specific position that I really enjoy, I don’t mind any of the positions in the middle of the park. I have played them all before and I am comfortable anywhere.”
While there is a degree of inevitability about the winners of Europe’s elite leagues, the race for the Serie A title could be one of the most fiercely contested in years.
Napoli ran away from the pack to clinch a historic third championship last season but it might not be so straightforward in the 2023-2024 Campionato.
Ferguson squared off against the great and good in an impressive first campaign in Italy as Thiago Motta’s side finished ninth in the standings just off the European places.
The Scottish midfielder held his own against the league’s best and anticipates a thrilling, unpredictable campaign ahead.
“It’s exciting for the fans and everybody that watches the league that there are four or five teams that could go on and win it,” he says.
“There are going to be upsets here and there because all the teams are capable of beating each other, everyone is at such a good level.
“It is a really exciting league, it is certainly good to play in and experience as it helps me as a player. There are so many top-class players to mention it is hard to pick out a few.
“Napoli had an unbelievable season last year.
“[Stanislav] Lobotka, [André-Frank Zambo] Anguissa and [Piotr] Zielinski playing in the midfield were on a different level, really good players.
“Also, [Khvicha] Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian player at Napoli, was really good, such a difficult opponent, although I wasn’t directly against him.
“He’s a really exciting player and a guy that attacks his defender and takes him on.
“I was directly up against [Hakan] Calhanoglu against Inter Milan and he is a top-level midfielder.
“Playing against top-level players every week will only help me improve.”
Away from the action, the Scotland international has settled comfortably into life in Bologna, a city famed for its cuisine, distinctive red buildings and as the home of the oldest university in the world.
“It’s definitely a nice place to live; the weather is good, the food is good, it’s really relaxed,” Ferguson admits.
“I have adapted to living over here, I am with my girlfriend and my daughter who is only eight months old.
“We really enjoy living over here, when you are from Scotland you are not used to good weather all the time, so it is nice to leave the house in the morning in shorts and a T-shirt.
“It certainly brightens your mood up.
“I am not really into the espressos yet, I have a cappuccino every now and then in the mornings.”
Ferguson has made progress in mastering Italian since arriving at Bologna in the summer of 2022, although there are several different nationalities in the Rossoblu squad.
There are even a few polyglots in a group which contains players that speak Dutch, German, Spanish and Polish, among other languages.
Despite the diversity, there have been no communication barriers for the Scot.
“Just now, my Italian is ok, I still find it difficult to speak, but I can understand fine now. I am still learning and it will take time, of course.
“In team meetings and when the manager speaks to me one-on-one, I can understand everything. I find it difficult sometimes when people are having a conversation, but being in the changing room and hearing everyone speak every day helps.
“Understanding is the most important part, to understand what the manager is telling me and the information on the pitch.
“Barring maybe three or four guys in the changing room, everyone speaks English.
“It made it so easy for me when I first arrived, it wasn’t as if I couldn’t communicate with my teammates.
“Some of the staff speak English as well.
“There are loads of languages used in the changing room. It is a bit confusing at times, but everybody really gets on with each other. Some lads speak four languages perfectly, which is amazing.
“It’s strange sometimes as there are some boys from South America that don’t speak English but you build relationships with them.
“We can only have basic conversations with each other in Italian but we make it work and they are good friends.
“It’s funny that you can build a friendship and relationship with somebody but only understand them a little bit and they only understand you a little bit, that’s the beauty of football.”
Twitter: @SKasiewicz