Bologna ended a waiting period of 51 years for a large trophy when the AC defeated 1-0 to win the Italian cup on Wednesday.
Dan Ndoye returned from an injury to score the only goal and to help Bologna to his first Italian cup since 1974. The club, owned by the Canadian Joey Saputo, has only won two second -stock titles.
It was also coach Vincenzo Italiano's first victory in a final, after he had lost back-to-back Europe Conference League Finals, while he was in charge of Fiorentina and finished second place in the 2023 Italian cup.
The result secured Bologna a place in next season's Europa League and left Milan with the very real chance of missing European competition.
It could spell the end of the short stint of Sérgio Conceição that is responsible for the Rossoneri, with Milan eighth in the Serie A after a disappointing season.
Both teams came to Rome in search of an Italian cup -dried, because Milan last lifted the trophy for the last time 22 years ago – losing two finals in the intervening years.