Passion of homegrown Atalanta typified by their manager

The Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo is not an easy place to get a result.

Tue, 02 Nov, 2021 - 09:30

David Shonfield

Take each match as it comes. It is the simple formula repeated by every coach and manager around the world. Perhaps they say it to remind themselves as much as anyone else. For in reality match preparation is far less simple, especially when you have a midweek European game followed by a derby against the league champions on Saturday.

It is harder still for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer coming off a respectable away win but having club legends implying that Manchester United just had to turn up to beat Tottenham at the weekend.

With the greatest respect to Roy Keane and Gary Neville as both players and pundits, Solskjaer and his fellow coaches did at least stop the rot against Spurs, reverting to three at the back and playing their two veteran sharpshooters in attack.

The task now is to build from that, recognising that it would be risky to start both Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani three times in a week. Neville’s suggestion was that Solskjaer should decide on his team for the City showdown and work backwards, “but you don’t want to get done in Atalanta”.

The Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo is not an easy place to get a result. When Solskjaer describes Atalanta as like an English team he could also be referring to the ground, which is small and noisy and well suited to generating a cup-tie atmosphere. They are minnows compared to United, even if they can play more like piranha. However the last time Atalanta met English opposition at home, exactly 12 months ago, they went down 5-0 to Liverpool, so the two sides have that at least in common.

Atalanta have a peculiar history: more promotions to the top flight than anyone else, more years in the top flight than any other club that has never won the title, but they have only qualified for the Champions League three times — and that has been over the past three seasons.

Perhaps the most significant feature of this recent success is that it is entirely homegrown. The owner, Antonio Percassi, is a former player who made his fortune in the furniture business and has since branched out into cosmetics, retailing, fashion and catering to become a self-made billionaire. His son Luca, who spent two seasons at Chelsea as a youngster, has been in charge of club management for the past ten years.

The club owes a lot to the family, and the family in turn has put a lot into the city — above all over the past two years, when Bergamo, known for its industrial and commercial success, was under the spotlight as the province worst afflicted by the Covid pandemic.

The spirit is typified by Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta manager for the past five years, modest, quietly spoken (usually at least) and an old-fashioned man of principle. Sent off at the end of Atalanta’s 1-1 draw with Udinese last week, Gasperini suggested he might be better off staying away from the pitch, except that the players needed him in the dugout.

“There are too many things which are hard to understand in football at present: yellow cards, tackles which are part of football are being penalised. Handball decisions, VAR… It’s not just me, it’s the players, other managers, and also the spectators."

His discontent is mostly about how the rules are being applied in Serie A:

“In the Champions League it is quite different, above all when it comes to fouls, tackling, simulation, penalties. If you raise something, at least there is some clarification: why that yellow card, why a foul was penalised, why VAR is involved or not involved.”

That may be one reason why Gasperini has been all smiles during the build-up to tonight’s match, despite some injury worries in defence, where José Palomino is fit again but there are still three first-choice players unavailable.

That evidently makes Atalanta the underdogs in this game, particularly as United were able to come back from a 2-0 deficit at Old Trafford. But they, like United, do not have to win this match. By contrast both their illustrious Milanese rivals face a nervy night tomorrow.

Milan are on the brink of going out after losing to Porto a fortnight ago, and Inter have a potentially very tricky away match against Sheriff, who against all predictions are currently top of their group.

Other big names could also be on the brink if results this week go against them, notably Barcelona who seem to be floundering after three consecutive defeats. And Borussia Dortmund have to overcome the psychological barrier of their 4-0 thumping in Amsterdam, even if they are going well in the Bundesliga.

It may not be much comfort to Solskjaer, but he is not the only manager with a difficult week in prospect.