Atalanta’s head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the media in a press conference ahead of their Champions League clash with Stuttgart. The Italian tactician emphasized the importance of the upcoming match and shared insights on various aspects of his team’s preparation and strategy.
Gasperini began by acknowledging the strength of their opponents, stating, “We expect the best Stuttgart. We’re aware of their games against Juventus and Real Madrid. They’re a strong, compact, and well-organized team. It’s going to be a difficult match, but we’ll try to bring our current positive momentum onto the field.”
Regarding the group standings, Gasperini stressed the significance of every point, saying, “The calculations are simple. It takes little to climb up or lose positions. The two points we couldn’t secure against Celtic weigh heavily. We need to earn points on all fields because in the final stages we’ll face Real Madrid and Barcelona.”
When questioned about Atalanta’s playing style, the coach highlighted the team’s versatility: “We always play with offensive players, but thanks to our versatility, we don’t have a single system of play. Koop allowed us to vary our playing style more easily, but this year we have Pasalic, Brescianini, we’ll see Samardzic, or we might play with purer attackers. We always have more than one alternative to vary situations.”
Gasperini expressed his admiration for Stuttgart’s tactical approach: “I appreciate them a lot. They’re a team that plays compactly and attacks and defends with many men. They’re valid on a tactical level, versatile, and strong physically and athletically.”
The coach also praised new signing Hien for his quick adaptation: “Hien integrated immediately, and this is to his credit and due to the experience gained at Verona. He played in a defense similar to ours. Now he’s refining important details. The game against Napoli is a sign of growth and evolution.”
Regarding Touré, who is currently on loan at Stuttgart, Gasperini revealed, “He has recovered physically. He was unfortunate to undergo two similar surgeries for the same injury in a few months, but he’s very professional in his work. He joined us in January and gave us a good contribution, often playing from January onwards, even participating in the Dublin final. He wanted to go to Stuttgart since last summer. He was motivated, and I’m glad he’s doing well there. Then he scored a great goal against Juventus. Now that’s enough,” he added with a laugh.
