Following a draw between Atalanta and Roma, Atalanta’s coach, Gianpiero Gasperini, revealed his thoughts on the game during a post-match interview with DAZN.
Gasperini described the draw as a positive result despite some contentious moments during the game. He said, “It was a good point for us even though Carnesecchi denied us with some great saves. We had considerable opportunities to take control of the match, most notably with De Keteleare’s first-half chance.” The coach commended Roma for their performance, particularly citing the performances of Lukaku and Dybala, but expressed reservations over the decision to disallow Scamacca’s goal, calling into question the discrepancy in fouls and yellow cards with Atalanta receiving six and Roma just one.
Regarding the alleged foul from Scamacca on Zalewski, Gasperini stated, “In my opinion, there wasn’t a foul. Do you think? I think he fell first. I don’t compare with other episodes; I only look at this one.”
On the subject of his young team’s resilience, Gasperini praised their solidity. He said, “At this moment, Holm and Ruggieri, who are young, are playing. They’re good and we expect great things from them. Their maturation is informed by the solidity and evolution of the group, who we trust a lot.”
Commenting on Scalvini, whom Gasperini includes among the veterans despite being only 20, he said, “He’s already played almost 100 games, which is quite remarkable for a player born in 2003. From time to time, he has some drops in the end, but tonight we managed well with Palomino and Hien.”
The coach also analyzed the team’s performance in the first round of the season, indicating a willingness to improve going forward. According to Gasperini, the current championship is more balanced with middle and bottom teams stepping up their game. He expressed disappointment over lost games that compromised their ranking, mentioning how they were robbed of a chance to have a better position in the table. However, he showed optimism for the second half of the season, given their progression to the Italian Cup and the last 16 in the Europa League.
Finally, going back to Scamacca’s disallowed goal, Gasperini said, “In my viewpoint, Aureliano can’t be blamed for refereeing in a bullfight this evening. It was tough for him and his experience helped him. Under these conditions, it’s almost impossible for the referees to officiate the game with serenity. The intensity of the hand support always matters. Referees must consider this issue. In my opinion, the player was struggling with a man at his back and went down easily.”