Gasperini’s system crowned with the cup in Atalanta

Atalanta crowned its rise with the UEFA Europa League championship under the guidance of Italian Head Coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The 66-year-old coach played a significant role in both the sporting and economic development of the blue-and-black team.

Italian Head Coach Gian Piero Gasperini is completing his 8th season at Atalanta with the UEFA Europa League trophy and a ticket to the Champions League. Gasperini, who signed with the blue-and-black team in June 2016, attracted attention season after season with the system he implemented, achieving notable results in Serie A and European competitions.

Finishing his first season in 4th place with 72 points, Atalanta secured a spot in the Europa League. The following season, the Italian team displayed inconsistent performances but finished as undefeated leaders of their Europa League group with 14 points. Atalanta, eliminated by Borussia Dortmund in the Round of 32, lost to Juventus in the semi-finals of the Italy Cup, a season where Juventus claimed the title.

Champions League Dream
In the 2018-2019 season, Gasperini’s team only managed one victory in the first 8 matches, failing to advance to the Europa League groups but continuing their journey in Serie A and the Italy Cup. The blue-and-black team started a winning streak, eliminating Juventus in the cup and reaching the final, where they were defeated 2-0 by Lazio at the Rome Olympic Stadium. Atalanta, unbeaten in the last 13 league matches, gathered 69 points to finish 3rd in the league, securing direct participation in the Champions League. Duvan Zapata, Josip Ilicic, and Papu Gomez shone with their performances as Atalanta became Serie A’s top scoring team with 77 goals.

In the 2019-2020 season, Atalanta achieved success in the league but faced a series of defeats at the start of their Champions League campaign. Despite conceding 11 goals in 3 matches against Manchester City, Shakhtar, and Dinamo Zagreb, Gasperini’s team managed 2 wins and 1 draw in the remaining 3 matches to advance from the group stage with 7 points behind Manchester City. In the Round of 16, Atalanta defeated Valencia 4-1 in the first leg and made a comeback in the second leg, with Josip Ilicic scoring 4 goals in a historic 3-4 victory, securing their place in the quarter-finals.

Following the halt in football due to the Coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Atalanta continued their winning streak when the leagues resumed in June. The team won 9 consecutive matches during this period, finishing the season with 98 goals and 78 points, securing a 3rd place finish, 5 points behind champions Juventus.

Eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain with a 2-1 score in a single match due to the pandemic, Atalanta’s Luis Muriel, Duvan Zapata, and Josip Ilicic were the top scorers in that season.

Three Consecutive Seasons as the Top Scoring Team
In the 2020-2021 season, starting under the shadow of the Coronavirus pandemic, Atalanta was drawn into the Champions League group with Liverpool, Ajax, and Midtjylland. Maintaining their scoring prowess in Serie A, the blue-and-black team gathered 10 points in the Champions League, finishing in the top 2 of their group. Although Atalanta lost to Real Madrid in the Round of 16, they continued their journey in both competitions. Despite reaching the final once again in the Italy Cup, Atalanta was defeated 2-1 by Juventus. In the league, with 23 wins, 9 draws, and 6 losses in 38 matches, they finished 3rd with 78 points. Atalanta continued their streak as the league’s top scoring team for the third consecutive season by sending 90 goals into the opponent’s net.

Europa League Quarter-Finals
Starting the season from the Champions League group stage, Atalanta, despite not achieving the desired results, secured 11 wins and 4 draws in 17 Serie A matches, placing in the top 3. Finishing 3rd in the Champions League group after Manchester United and Villarreal with 6 points, the blue-and-black team continued their journey in the Europa League. Eliminating Olympiakos and Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 32, the Italians were defeated by RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals. Experiencing a decline in the second half of the Serie A season, Atalanta finished 8th with 59 points.

Starting the next season with successful results once again, Gasperini’s team failed to achieve the desired outcomes in big matches, ending the season in 5th place with 64 points and securing a spot in the Europa League.

Atalanta Made History in Dublin
Competing in Group D of the UEFA Europa League against Sporting, Sturm Graz, and Rakow, the Italians emerged as undefeated leaders with 4 wins and 2 draws. During this period, they displayed inconsistent performances in the league. Atalanta also reached the final of the Italy Cup by eliminating Sassuolo, Milan, and Fiorentina once again. Facing Juventus on May 15th at the Rome Olympic Stadium, the blue-and-black team suffered their third defeat.

Facing Sporting in the Europa League Round of 16, Atalanta advanced to the quarter-finals with 1-1 and 2-1 victories. Beating Liverpool 3-0 in the away leg, despite a loss in the return leg, Atalanta secured a spot in the semi-finals. Unable to defeat Marseille in the first leg of the semi-finals, the Italian team won 3-0 at home, advancing to the final. Facing Bayer Leverkusen, who had remained unbeaten in European competitions and the Bundesliga, in Dublin, Ireland, Gasperini’s team broke their streak in the final. Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick not only ended the opponent’s run but also marked Atalanta’s first-ever European championship.

Earning a Champions League spot for the 2024-2025 season, Atalanta currently sits in 5th place with 66 points and 2 matches remaining in Serie A. Players like Lookman, Gianluca Scamacca, Teun Koopmeiners, and Charles De Ketelaere stood out with their performances this season.

Gasperini Enhanced the Value of Many Players
The Italian head coach played a significant role in the club’s economic strength by shining the spotlight on many players and facilitating their transfers to top European clubs, thus filling the club’s coffers. Among these names, Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund stands out, with Manchester United paying approximately 74 million Euros for his transfer. Another English club, Tottenham, acquired Cristian Romero for 52 million Euros in the summer of 2022, and Dejan Kulusevski, who later moved to Tottenham, signed with Juventus for 39 million Euros in January 2020. Significant income was also generated from successful transfers of recent years, including Franck Kessie (32 million Euros), Alessandro Bastoni (31.10 million Euros), Robin Gosens (27.40 million Euros), Gianluca Mancini (24 million Euros), and Jeremie Boga (17 million Euros). In the beginning of the 2021-2022 season, national team player Merih Demiral was loaned from Juventus and his transfer was completed for 21 million Euros the following year, before being sold to Al-Ahli club for approximately 17 million Euros last summer.