For several years, Atalanta has been one of the clubs that should not be underestimated, and after the Italian scene, this year it is gaining respect on the European stage as well. The club from Bergamo is in the Coppa Italia final and will play for the trophy in the Europa League, yesterday at home they did not give Marseille a chance.
“It’s unbelievable not only for us, but also for all the citizens of Bergamo. It’s unbelievable, we couldn’t even think of something like this, the fans went absolutely crazy. We start every season wanting to save ourselves and it’s unbelievable how far we’ve come “ rejoices President Antonio Percassi.
The first mutual duel from last week resulted in a 1:1 draw, the semi-final rematch already had a definite course and Olympique pulled the short end of the stick from the start. Atalanta turned their superiority into three goals, Ademola Lookman scored after half an hour of play, Matteo Ruggeri followed it up at the beginning of the second half and El Bilal Touré sealed everything in the fifth minute of regulation.
“We can dream with our eyes open, we advanced to the final and enjoyed an unforgettable moment in front of our own fans. I myself am very proud, my parents sacrificed a lot for my career and I dedicate this success to them. But from tomorrow we will only think about the league and the final “ promises the author of the second hit Ruggeri.
“I scored my first goal for Atalanta on home turf. It’s a fantastic story, we started in the group stage and went all the way to the final. We’ll try to get Leverkusen in trouble, but we’re not thinking about that yet, hopefully we’ll continue like this.” he hopes.
The Europa League final between Atalanta and Leverkusen is scheduled for twelve days and will be played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Meanwhile, Atalanta is still in the game on all fronts – they are fighting for fourth place in Serie A and will face Juventus in the Italian Cup final next week (May 15).
“We’ve had a lot of games and it’s not always easy to give the best performance, but today we did it. I said already on Wednesday that the atmosphere in the whole city will help us and it will give the players energy. This was a special game and the players gave the best possible performance “ coach Gian Piero Gasperini did not spare his praise.
“The final is a historic event, for a club like Atalanta it is something incredible. Some consider it absolutely necessary to launch the Super League, but the example of Atalanta gives hope to everyone else. Football is unpredictable and that is why it is so beautiful.” he added.
