Orsolini’s Bologna brilliance continues after Spalletti’s Italy snub | OneFootball

Luciano Spalletti’s latest snub appears to have given Riccardo Orsolini an extra motivational boost, as he continued his fine form at Bologna by matching his personal best for goals in a single season.

The 28-year-old netted a stunner against Venezia on Saturday to earn the Rossoblu yet another win, reinforcing their hopes of reaching Champions League qualification for a second consecutive season.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – MARCH 16: Riccardo Orsolini of Bologna celebrates after scoring his team second goal during the Serie A match between Bologna and SS Lazio at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on March 16, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

The offensive winger took 22 Serie A games to score 11 goals, a milestone he had only reached once before in his career, during his first season under Thiago Motta, though it came in 32 league appearances.

Orsolini in the form of his life at Bologna: will it be enough for an Italy call-up?

Orsolini is now scoring with unprecedented consistency for Vincenzo Italiano’s side, prompting many to question Spalletti’s decision not to include him in his call-ups for Italy’s recent Nations League fixtures against Germany, which saw the Azzurri eliminated from the competition.

It is fair to assume that the forward’s contribution could be extremely valuable for Italy at a time when they have been particularly struggling to find reliable attacking options.

Even Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui, two of the most prolific Serie A strikers, have scored just two and three goals, respectively, in their last nine games for Spalletti’s side.

VENICE, ITALY – MARCH 29: Riccardo Orsolini of Bologna scores opening goal during the Serie A match between Venezia and Bologna at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on March 29, 2025 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

Orsolini celebrated his most recent Bologna goal by knocking on the camera, a gesture he had used before, which was reportedly a subtle message to the Azzurri coach, asking if he was watching.

However, ‘Orsonaldo’ will still have a couple of months to add to his scoring tally for the Rossoblu in an effort to boost their chances of back-to-back Champions League qualifications and ultimately convince Spalletti to call him up for two crucial World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Moldova next June.