Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini shared his thoughts ahead of the match against Fiorentina, highlighting the significance of the newly renovated stadium and praising club president Antonio Percassi.
Gasperini expressed his excitement about returning to play in the renovated stadium after 112 days:
“It’s a fantastic structure. I believe tomorrow will be a celebration. We must recognize Antonio Percassi’s merit – he will remain the most important man in Atalanta’s history. He’s gifting something extraordinary because Atalanta is a fundamental part of his life. It’s a gesture of great love towards everyone.”
The coach emphasized that while people often think about commercial returns, this stadium was built to give fans a home:
“It was a difficult gesture, of great generosity. From tomorrow, all of Bergamo will have an important jewel.”
“Palladino is a strong coach. He’s already done well with Monza, with two very important seasons. He arrives with many new players, and I’m convinced he has the intelligence and ability to improve Fiorentina’s level.”
“I’m happy for him. He wanted to return to Italy. There were some words with Atalanta, then he settled in Florence. He started by scoring a beautiful goal. I’m very happy for him.”
“Ballon d’Or Nomination? For me, it’s an extraordinary result, a worldwide recognition in football. It’s not just a reward for winning the Europa League; I take it as something for my career, for what I’ve done in these years. It’s an enormous recognition, and I’m very grateful to all those who helped me achieve this goal.”
“We’ve had few players. In the last ten to fifteen days, many players have arrived. Some, like Kossounou, have only had one training session with the team. But from now on, there will be no further market interruptions, and we’ll try to blend together.”
“Zaniolo? We were several weeks behind, and even the first week of the break, he trained separately. But he’s come back very well. For him too, it’s a bit of a start. Now it’s a way to begin again with all the hopes we’ve nurtured for his arrival.”
