Bologna forward Jonathan Rowe drew a red card for violent conduct and was sent off before half-time as the rossoblù were beaten 4-0 by Arminia Bielefeld in their pre-season opener under new head coach Domenico Tedesco. Four days later, Bologna drew 1-1 with Heidenheim — Santiago Castro on the scoresheet — in a second friendly against German opposition, this time completing the match with a full complement. Two results, two very different stories, and Rowe's name running through both.
The red card matters beyond the pre-season context because it arrives at precisely the moment Rowe's future at the club is unresolved. Bologna's chief executive confirmed the club is actively trying to retain the 23-year-old, noting that Rowe has already paid a fine connected to his conduct. That the club is still pursuing retention despite the disciplinary episode signals genuine belief in the player — but it also signals that the relationship has required active management before a competitive ball has been kicked under Tedesco.
Rowe's 2025-26 Serie A numbers under Vincenzo Italiano — three goals and two assists across 27 appearances, with an average rating of 6.80 — tell the story of a player who contributed without ever quite commanding. He was a presence in the squad rather than a defining force in it. His AI overall score of 71 out of a possible 100, with a projected ceiling of 78, suggests the analytical models see room for growth, but that ceiling is not automatic. It requires exactly the kind of disciplined pre-season that Rowe has so far failed to produce.
Tedesco's Bologna inherited a side that finished eighth in Serie A with 55 points from 37 matches — a record of 16 wins, seven draws, and 14 defeats — and a goal difference that barely tilted positive at 46 scored against 43 conceded. There is no margin in those numbers for a squad player to arrive at the season's edge carrying disciplinary baggage and unresolved contract uncertainty. The club's decision to retain Rowe despite the fine is a calculated bet; the question is whether Rowe will honour it.
The Bielefeld result was a collective embarrassment, not a Rowe problem alone — four goals conceded against second-division German opposition is a team-wide concern for Tedesco's staff. But Rowe's dismissal shaped the match, leaving Bologna a man down before the interval and removing any realistic chance of a response. That context does not absolve him; if anything, it sharpens the cost of the red card.
Bologna need Rowe to be the player his potential score suggests he can become. Right now, he is giving them reasons to doubt it.