Many of his teammates at Borussia Dortmund struck him as cold and distant. Ciro Immobile never managed to pick up the German language or adapt to the local customs. Life in Andalusia suited him better, where he briefly played half a season for Sevilla. Yet when the opportunity arose to return to Italy, Immobile did not hesitate. At Lazio, he became nothing short of an icon.
The striker’s scoring machine kept rolling (207 goals in eight seasons) until his departure in 2024. After a year with Besiktas, Immobile is now back on Italian soil, this time in Bologna, with a very clear goal in mind. He wants to fight his way back into the national team in pursuit of next summer’s World Cup, competing directly with Thijs Dallinga for a spot.
Former star striker Giuseppe Signori praised Immobile’s decision in La Gazzetta dello Sport. Signori himself made the same move to Bologna in the late 1990s as a player in his thirties, following the example of Roberto Baggio years earlier. “Before I signed, I called Robi, and he told me there was no better place to revive a career,” Signori recalled. “The city is beautiful, the people are relaxed, and they give you all the time and attention you need.”