Former Atalanta full-back Robin Gosens shared his experiences of the last time La Dea faced Liverpool: ‘After 20 minutes, I told Djimsiti I was cooked….’. Atalanta face the Reds at Anfield on Thursday evening in the Europa League quarter finals and speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gosens recounted his experiences of facing Liverpool in 2020:
“I have two images in front of my eyes from that evening: Anfield empty due to the pandemic and my goal. An unforgettable evening both from a human and professional perspective. We felt the responsibility for the people of Bergamo who were suffering a lot at that time due to Covid. And we gave everything to be able to give the people a smile. It was a magical moment.”
“What struck me about English teams? The intensity, without a doubt. After 20 minutes I approached Djimsiti and said, ‘I’m already cooked.’ After all, the Premier League is a championship that trains intensity and pace, it’s difficult to play against English teams for their quality and physical aspect.”
“At the time, Gasperini told us to enjoy the moment first without feeling the pressure. It’s not often that you get to play in stadiums like Anfield, so we had to enjoy the moment. Today Liverpool has changed in terms of personnel, but not in spirit. There’s still Jurgen Klopp, with his identity: high pressing, intensity, quality, and speed in play. But Atalanta also has its identity with Gasperini: aggression, speed, talented players up front, a coach who knows how to prepare and read games perfectly. It will be a great match, I won’t miss it on TV. And I hope Atalanta goes through to the semifinals in a week.”
“Salah is a champion, scoring so many goals consistently every season is not easy. And up close, he has explosive power, it will be crucial to double up on him as Djimsiti and I did in 2020. Otherwise, he risks becoming unstoppable. Van Dijk is a giant, not only physically. Also, as a person, you don’t stay at that level for years if you don’t have a certain depth.”
“Teh future? I’m fine at Union Berlin, even if things are not going as we would have liked. We had different expectations, my first thought now is to secure survival. Personally, I am happy to have played consistently, something that I didn’t manage to do with Inter.
“Yes, of course, I miss Italy. I am German, but I also feel a bit Italian. My mentality is Italian. It’s magical to live there, I have great memories both in Bergamo, where I left my heart, and in Milan. As for my future, it’s too early, as I said, now it’s time to think about Union’s survival. Then there will be the European Championship. Only then will I organize my thoughts and decide the best path for my career and my family. In 2026, there’s the World Cup… If I decide to change teams, I will do it only for an Italian club.”
