Bologna are the surprise package of this season’s Serie A race. Besides one of the best young coaches in Thiago Motta, the red-and-blue team boasts a player who always seems to find creative solutions in forward play and can find gaps in opponents’ backlines and score goals. Young Joshua Zirkzee has been a revelation since arriving at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara a year and a half ago.Red-and-blue sensation: Bologna wins against Bayern-slaying LazioBorn in the suburbs of Rotterdam, Joshua was the first in his family to play football. The Netherlands-born son of a Nigerian mother and a Dutch father is proud to have started playing in the streets with his friends – and told Gazzetta it greatly impacted his playing style.”My mom really struggled to get me to training while my father was working. It wasn’t easy. She had to take me, pick me up and provide the family with food. But playing with my friends on street pitches with my friends is the reason my game developed. I was playing with older boys, so I had to learn quickly how to protect myself, be smart and make quick decisions. It’s where creativity comes from. I owe a lot of my playing style to street football. In the Netherlands, everyone leaves their house and plays football on Sundays. I was always trying to make the most of the talent God has given me. If He wants me to succeed – I will.”“Im truly happy for our fans, it’s an extraordinary moment. We’re doing some really beautiful things. The fans are dreaming, we need to just think about the next game.”🗣 Zirkzee on Bologna contending for the Champions League spots to Sky 👏 pic.twitter.com/0ZOwd5pKNe— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) February 18, 2024 After playing well for Feyenoord’s youth side, Bayern took the then-16-year-old to Munich. It was a big change in Joshua’s life, taking him to another country and forcing him to mature quickly.”When I moved to Bayern Munich, I was convinced it was the right decision for me. I remember just going there, and after two weeks, it really hit me. I was there without my parents. I was washing my clothes alone and going to breakfast with my teammates. I would be lying if I said it was hard. It wasn’t because many nice people at the club took care of us. But it made me grow. I remember going into the first-team dressing room and thinking, ‘I know all these guys from FIFA!’ There were great role-models there like Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Thomas Muller, David Alaba… They were all helpful, especially Muller. He is a blessing for young players to have close.”Joshua Zirkzee is being linked to the Arsenal yet again.Your thoughts Gunners? pic.twitter.com/M8iWXyHy7I— Arsenal Nation⚡#MyPVCis4PeterObi (@orch99) February 16, 2024 After a couple of loan spells with Parma and Anderlecht in Belgium, Zirkzee moved to Bologna FC on a permanent transfer in August 2022. He found his home and has been improving so much that he’s now one of his team’s key players and is attracting interest from clubs around Europe.Thiago Motta and Zirkzee 🥰❤️ pic.twitter.com/fdpsTooaZf— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) February 18, 2024 Bologna coach Thiago Motta spoke highly of Zirkzee after the Rossoblu’s impressive comeback win at Lazio on Sunday afternoon. He has been having an incredible season, especially when compared to the club’s previous standards. The 22-year-old scored the winning goal at Stadio Olimpico, which helped Bologna secure three points and lift them up to the 5th place in the Serie A standings.”I remember Ronaldinho from Barcelona; he was extraordinary. I’ve never seen a player of this level when he was in form. Ibra the same, given the career he’s had. Joshua is Joshua. He’s special. I hope he continues like this, and I won’t compare him to anyone. He plays well, but above all, he works; I will never stop saying that from the first day of training camp, he has always been the first to work and has become a leader. He must continue like this, and we must help him continue like this because this is on the right path.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7881561##The “new Ronaldinho” is already being mentioned as a potential target for Arsenal and a few other clubs as a player who could set the Premier League alight. But for now, the Nigerian boy is enjoying the ability to live a relatively peaceful life in Bologna and help the red-and-blues build on their impressive campaign. The win over Lazio marked their fourth successive Serie A win, something Bologna haven’t succeeded in since 1967.”We are just taking it day by day, game by game. We are doing well at the moment; it has been a fantastic week, and it is nice for the fans; we hope to continue like this and make their dream even more. We are not really focused on anything like this, just game by game. We are in a wonderful position, so we’ll just continue like this and try to get to the best position at the end of the season. I don’t think there is a big secret. We just work very hard. We came here to beat Lazio, a great team, so obviously, it feels extra special. You just have to keep working, keep them away from the goal and at the final whistle, a big hug is the best way to celebrate!”
Zirkzee usually celebrates his goals by shooting finger guns, but in Rome he came up with an “upgrade” – an air machine gun! It was a celebration previously used by the legendary Fiorentina, Roma and Argentina goalscorer Gabriel Batistuta.”Yeah, Bati is a great role model and is a great way to celebrate. I think it’s a great way to celebrate when there is a lot of emotion.”Zirkzee is quite a baller – so don’t take your eyes off him!