Following Atalanta’s 2-1 win over Monza, coach Gian Piero Gasperini hit out at the idea that his lack of silverware makes him a ‘loser’. Goals from Charles De Ketelaere and El Bilal Touré helped keep La Dea’s hope’s of a top 5 finish alive, taking them up to 6th position in the league table. After the match, Gasperini gave an interview to DAZN discussing the victory:
“Undoubtedly, the ending wasn’t the best considering a game that was played well for long stretches, with particularly good responses from the attackers but overall from everyone. Sometimes we run the risk of throwing it away; it happened against Verona, and evidently, we haven’t learned. We’ve already dropped points like this before.”
The late-game struggle could be attributed to the limited impact of the substitutes: “When Monza made substitutions, they brought in players with energy who contributed a lot. We didn’t match their intensity, and we risked paying for it.”
The coach then focused on his forwards: “Touré, compared to Scamacca, has different characteristics, even just physically. However, today he played for the first time from the start and did very well. These players are competitive animals; you see things in training, and then in the game, it’s completely different. This is his first real joy after the goal in Genoa because he had an excellent overall performance. De Ketelaere, on the other hand, has a stature that allows him to be dangerous; he also has great room for improvement in aerial play.”
Gasperini went on to discuss the current season, nearing its end, with an eye on the club’s future: “Year by year, Atalanta should aspire to improve. Even if every year you lose your best pieces, the team then renews and strengthens itself. But even if you improve, it doesn’t mean you’ll achieve the same results as this year. Results don’t always reflect the team. This year, the results are excellent; in terms of technical aspects and team improvement, we have room. On Wednesday, we’ll have an initial answer in the Coppa Italia, then we also have the Europa League. These are three beautiful competitions; we can’t choose. We only have two days to recover, but it’s undeniable that we care about the Coppa Italia, and the entire city of Bergamo cares with us. The season is fantastic regardless; now we’re entering the final verdicts. Wednesday is one of them, although it’s not definitive if we reach the final.”
Finally, in response to those who claim that in football, one is only successful if they win a title: “This is nonsense. In journalism, then, success is only becoming an editor. This is a huge nonsense, I don’t know who feeds it, maybe someone frustrated. We try to give satisfaction to our children and our people. Perhaps this won’t be a Champions League or a Serie A title.”
