Serie A: Torino v Bologna
Venue: Stadio Olimpico Grande, Torino Date: Sunday, 15 February Kick-off: 17:00 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC Alba from 16:50
Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Che Adams, Lennon Miller, Josh Doig and, most recently, Kieron Bowie…
More Scots are playing in Serie A than ever before – and the BBC now has you covered if you want to follow them in action live.
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The Italian top flight is returning to free-to-air television thanks to a package of eight live matches showcasing the Italy based Scots as they prepare for this summer’s World Cup.
First up on BBC Alba this coming Sunday is the match between striker Adams’ Torino and midfielder Ferguson’s Bologna, with a 17:00 GMT kick-off.
Bologna arrive three points and three places above their 13th-placed hosts but looking to arrest a run of five straight domestic defeats, the latest being a 2-1 home loss to Lazio in the Coppa Italia.
However, during that spell they drew 2-2 at home to Celtic and won 3-0 away to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.
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Torino, meanwhile, have won just once in five outings but are looking to build on a 2-2 draw away to Fiorentina last time out.
[BBC]
Future matches live on BBC Alba will also feature Napoli duo McTominay and Gilmour, who is close to returning after four months out through injury, fellow midfielder Miller’s Udinese, left-back Doig’s Sassuolo, and striker Bowie, who made a big-money move from Hibernian to Hellas Verona last month.
It all means there are a record number of Scots playing in Italy’s top flight – and it would have been more if midfielder Liam Henderson, who has played for Bari, Verona, Empoli, Lecce and Verona, was not now with Sampdoria in Serie B.
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Details of the other Serie A matches that BBC Alba has sublicensed from DAZN for live coverage will be released in the coming weeks.
Alba director of content Margaret Cameron said: “This is a great opportunity for fans in Scotland to see these games free-to-air and enjoy watching the fantastic Scottish talent in Serie A in the run up to the World Cup.”
Presenter Alex O’Henley is looking forward to fronting coverage of what he describes as “a golden era for Scottish players in Italian football”.
“With the World Cup finals only a few months away, it’s a hugely exciting time for Scottish fans to be following the fortunes of our players in Italy,” he added.
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Who are the Serie A Scots?
Kieron Bowie (right) made his Verona debut against Pisa [Getty Images]
Adams: The Leicester-born 29-year-old has established himself as Clarke’s first pick up front. Since switching allegiances in 2021, he has amassed 45 caps and contributed 11 goals. Formerly of Sheffield United and Birmingham City, he moved to Torino two years ago after featuring in the Premier League with Southampton.
This season, he has scored six goals in 26 appearances, 17 of them starts, for the side sitting 13th of Serie A’s 20 clubs.
Bowie: The Kirkcaldy-born 23-year-old began his career with Raith Rovers before spells with Fulham and on loan to Northampton Town before rising to prominence with Hibernian, his nine goal in 30 appearances this season leading to his January sale to Hellas Verona.
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Bowie, who has two Scotland caps, made his debut, and first start, in a 0-0 draw at home to Pisa in a game between Serie A’s bottom two sides.
Doig: The Edinburgh-born 23-year-old became a first-team regular for Hibs in the Scottish Premiership before moving to Italy and is already at his second Serie A club. He moved from Verona to Sassuolo in 2024 and won his one and only Scotland cap last year in a left-back role in which he finds himself behind Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Celtic’s Kieran Tierney.
Doig has made 24 appearances, 20 of them starts, this season for his 11th-placed club side.
Ferguson: Having started his career with local club Hamilton Academical, the 26-year-old spent four seasons with Aberdeen in the Premiership before being sold to Bologna in summer 2022. Ferguson, who has 21 Scotland caps, became captain the following October and led his side to a Coppa Italia final win over AC Milan last year and European qualification.
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He has made 29 appearances this season, 21 of them starts for the side sitting 10th.
Gilmour: Irvine-born, the 24-year-old started his career with Rangers but moved to Chelsea while still a youth. He made his senior debut aged 18 but moved to Premier League rivals Norwich City on a season-long loan in 2021.
Transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion the following year, he helped them to a sixth-place finish and qualification for European football for the first time before being sold to Napoli in 2024, on the same day as Scotland team-mate McTominay, and they finished the season with the first league titles of their careers. However, this season he has been limited to 12 appearances, only six of them starts, having been sidelined since November.
McTominay: The Lancaster-born midfielder came through Manchester United’s youth ranks and, although he did not make his first-team debut until aged 21, he went on to make 255 appearances for the Premier League club. After being sold to Napoli, the 29-year-old was nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award last season as his goalscoring feats helped win the league title.
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His 14 goals in 67 Scotland appearances include a lauded overhead kick that helped beat Denmark to secure World Cup qualification in November. McTominay has made 34 appearances this season for reigning champions currently sitting third, scoring 10 goals.
Miller: Born in Wishaw, the 19-year-old son of Scotland-capped former striker Lee came through the youth ranks with Motherwell, making his debut just days after turning 16. After 76 appearances for the Premiership club, he was sold to Udinese in August for a Well club record fee, two months after being handed the first of his four Scotland caps.
He has made 14 appearances, six of them starts, so far for the side sitting ninth.
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