Gian Piero Gasperini once again hit out at the idea of a Super League, saying Atalanta are an example of meritocracy. La Dea routed Marsille 3-0 in the Europa League semi-finals, booking a place against Bayer Leverkusen in the final. Speaking post-match (as quoted by Tuttosport), Gasperini talked about the importance of a team like his going all the way in the competition:
“The Europa League final will be a fantastic event for Atalanta’s history and for a club like ours, which doesn’t boast huge numbers but finds itself playing such a final where we’ll have everyone’s attention. Atalanta’s example can give hope to football, which thrives on meritocracy rather than genetically acquired rights,” said Atalanta’s coach, Gian Piero Gasperini.
“It’s a good omen for all teams that aren’t top-tier; they can achieve significant milestones without necessarily having the numbers that seem most important today. You need audience, numbers, not necessarily Super Leagues… Atalanta’s example can give hope to many other teams; football is beautiful because of meritocracy more than genetically acquired rights,” Gasperini added after the 3-0 victory over Olympique Marseille that secured Atalanta’s place in the Europa League final.
“The first thought immediately went to the final, even though we have some important games to play in the meantime. We have many matches to play; it’s not easy to always play them as we would like. Some matches are easier than others; even in Salerno, luckily we won. This match was certainly better. There was a city around us, there was anticipation everywhere in Bergamo; when there are these emotions and energies, it’s clear that the players feel them. It was known that it was the decisive and special match; they interpreted it with the best energies,” explained the Atalanta coach.
