On the eve of the Supercoppa match in Riyadh, Atalanta’s coach Gian Piero Gasperini shared his thoughts in a press conference. The match between Atalanta and Inter Milan is scheduled for Thursday, marking the first of two semi-finals. This is Atalanta’s debut in this competition.
Reflecting on their recent league performance and high standings, Gasperini emphasized the importance of the upcoming match. “This game is different from league matches. It’s a 90-minute game with direct elimination, so we need to approach it differently,” he stated.
Addressing Atalanta’s recent struggles against Inter, Gasperini acknowledged Inter’s strength over the past three years. “We need to be careful not to concede early as we did in the last two matches. It becomes difficult to recover if Inter takes the lead,” he explained.
Gasperini took pride in Atalanta’s recent European success, noting, “Italian teams had been absent from European victories for a long time. Our achievement in the Europa League, especially considering our competitive journey, is a source of great pride and an important milestone in our progress.”
Commenting on the novelty of playing in Saudi Arabia, Gasperini described Riyadh as a surprisingly hyper-modern city. He admitted that playing far from home and their fans feels strange, but emphasized the importance of the competition. “Tomorrow is a semi-final, crucial for reaching the trophy, but also for testing how competitive this team is, even in terms of the league,” he added.
Regarding team selection, Gasperini remained undecided about starting Zaniolo, mentioning other players like Brescianini, Samardzic, and Scalvini as options. He stressed the need for more competitive players in view of upcoming challenging league fixtures.
Gasperini concluded by highlighting Atalanta’s recent achievements: “In 2024, we played three finals: Coppa Italia, Europa League, and European Supercup. Playing these types of matches brings prestige to the club, value to the players, and satisfaction to all of us. These are globally watched games where you want to perform well and be as competitive as possible. It’s important for us to be here, but it will be even more important to win.”
