[ad_1]
Atalanta tackle Paris Saint-Germain within the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday with the event debutants the shock commonplace bearers for Italian soccer in Lisbon. Serie A champions Juventus and Napoli have been felled within the final 16, leaving Atalanta to hold the nation’s hopes of a primary main European trophy since Inter Milan’s 2010 triumph. PSG won’t have celebrity Kylian Mbappe out there, however Atalanta look set to be with out high scorer Josip Ilicic, who discovered the online 21 occasions in all competitions, together with 5 within the Champions League.
“We miss Ilicic very much,” mentioned coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
“It was his season. Until February, he was the most decisive player in our forward line.”
The 32-year-old Slovenian was on type till the coronavirus engulfed Italy and specifically the crew’s residence metropolis Bergamo, the place at one level the military was referred to as in to remove coffins as a result of native morgues couldn’t deal with the variety of virus deaths.
Illcic was overwhelmed by private and psychological difficulties and has been sidelined for the crew’s remaining video games of the season.
But Atalanta’s power has been the variety of gamers who’ve contributed to their all-competitions tally of 118 targets.
Colombians Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel have scored 19 every in complete, with Mario Pasalic netting 11, mercurial Papu Gomez eight and Ruslan Malinovskyi 9.
And the unpredictable nature of the season has given ‘La Dea’ (The Goddess) purpose to dream regardless of the membership having received only one main trophy, the 1963 Italian Cup, in its 112-year historical past.
“Atalanta belongs to the city and you feel part of this,” mentioned captain Gomez.
“We know we’re a team from a city of about 100,000 people and not the big team of a capital. But we know where we are going and what we want.
“We’ve realized alongside the best way, from the primary match within the Champions League, after we conceded 4 towards Dinamo Zagreb.
“We raised the level and now they’re asking us for the Champions League. Achieving this goal is priceless.”
‘Beyond optimism’
Atalanta’s transformation into Italian title contenders, with two third-place finishes in as many seasons, has been overseen by the membership’s billionaire proprietor Antonio Percassi, who performed as a defender for the membership.
The 67-year-old took over as president in 2010 and dealing along with his two sons he has lifted the membership to new heights.
“It was not easy, but the last three years have gone beyond the most optimistic forecasts,” mentioned Percassi.
“It’s our story, that of the entire ‘Atalantina’ family.”
Gasperini’s European marketing campaign began disastrously, dropping their first three group video games and conceding 11 targets, however they bounced again to qualify for the knockout phases.
Italy coach Roberto Mancini believes Atalanta have remodeled the Italian recreation.
“They have a modern spirit and principles — courage to dare, attacking style, search for dominance beyond the result,” Mancini advised Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“The top clubs in Europe all play with this mentality, but things are changing in Italy too, many coaches are more daring today, also thanks to Atalanta.
“They have proven {that a} sure sort of soccer, in addition to being lovely, reaps outcomes.
“They have everything to play the quarter-final with confidence.”
Promoted
Gasperini in the meantime will hope to comply with Hector Cuper’s Valencia, who twenty years in the past have been shock Champions League finalists, within the 12 months of their third place league end.
Valencia misplaced to Real Madrid, however received La Liga the next season.
Topics talked about on this article
[ad_2]
Source hyperlink