Gasperini: Bergamo now demands more. Future? I’m happy at Atalanta but…
Atalanta’s head coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, has given a comprehensive interview with DAZN, discussing this season, the transfer market, his goals and the club’s future.
“We are experiencing a quite tough season with highs and lows: there has never been such equilibrium before,” Gasperini revealed.
He praised Scamacca’s performance and expressed contentment with Muriel’s goal against Milan. “Scamacca has been doing very well. We need more types of forwards because matches have different faces, especially at the end to make a difference. As for Muriel, his goal will go down in history as one of the most beautiful scored by Atalanta,” Gasperini said.
Training Atalanta today is different from seven years ago, according to the seasoned coach, due to evolving expectations. “Competing on par with teams like Milan or Napoli was a target, a goal. The feeling in Bergamo is that they want something more. Most people still have their feet on the ground, but some now think it’s more important to win than to sweat for the shirt. Today, there isn’t much excitement about getting into the Europe League, now it’s about wanting the Champions League and the Scudetto.”
Reflecting on his future, Gasperini admitted, “In Bergamo, I found an environment that gave me a lot where I felt at home. We try to provide entertainment and as long as I see that I am appreciated, I will continue with enthusiasm. If one day this is missing, I’ll look for other solutions. I have always turned down foreign options by my choice, even though there were several opportunities in the past. For the future, we’ll see, but I have to live day by day considering my age.”
With regards to football expanding into new markets like Arabia, Gasperini believes it’s an interesting prospect. “I think football has such power that it could open doors that are otherwise difficult to open, even referring to the participation of women in events and greater inclusivity,” he said.
Sharing his opinion about Milan, he stated, “For me, Milan remains a strong team. It needs to recover the missing players, not only Leao but also the defenders after finding Bennacer. Milan is nonetheless third in a league where there are 8-10 teams within a few points.”
Commenting on De Ketelaere, Gasperini said, “He is very young, then like Ilicic he has a particular physique. He will reach physical maturity a little later. He’s a very positive boy who’s providing me with important results. His growth may not be immediate but he is certainly a valuable player.”