Preseason matches are supposed to answer simple questions, but Bologna’s trip into today’s 4:00 PM meeting with Heidenheim carried a few more layers than usual. The Rossoblù were coming off Saturday’s 4-0 defeat against Arminia Bielefeld, still adjusting to a new playing philosophy, and still dealing with the kind of off-field uncertainty that can make even August feel a little less straightforward.
On the pitch, yesterday afternoon gave another clue about how Tedesco is trying to shape the side. He tested a 4-3-3 starting eleven, a setup that suggests Bologna are still searching for rhythm and balance rather than simply chasing results. That matters because the team is not only trying to tighten up after the Arminia loss, but also to make the most of these early tests before the season starts to harden into something more serious.
Heidenheim, for their part, arrived with a very different recent story but a similar sense of urgency. They were relegated to the German second division in May after finishing 17th in the Bundesliga last season, and like Arminia they begin their Second Bundesliga season on August 8th. That gives the game a useful competitive edge: it is a preseason fixture, yes, but not one that should be treated like a casual run-out.
Fenucci’s message on Ricky
Off the field, the most revealing words came from Claudio Fenucci, who said Bologna are close to an agreement with Ricky but cannot wait too long. He also warned against letting the process drift, saying the timing cannot stretch out so far that it turns into a soap opera. His point was clear enough: the club wants the deal done, but not at the cost of dragging the situation into a bigger distraction.
He also made one thing explicit: the transfer market has nothing to do with it. In other words, this is being framed as a separate issue from the churn of summer business, even if the wider mood around the squad is still being shaped by changes and decisions that are not yet fully settled.
There is also the Jonathan Rowe issue to keep in view. After his red card on Saturday, his absence added another complication to a group already working through a new structure and a new rhythm. Bologna do not need every answer in one afternoon, but they do need signs that the team is learning quickly enough to make the early noise around them less important than the football itself.
That is what made today’s game useful. Bologna were not only facing Heidenheim; they were also measuring how quickly the squad can absorb Tedesco’s ideas, how well the shape can hold, and whether the club can move through its summer storylines without letting them define the season before it has even begun.
