Tonight’s Europa League Final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen can be a huge turning point for La Dea, Gian Piero Gasperini and Italian football and may allow Serie A clubs to have six clubs in next season’s Champions League.
Atalanta have never played a European Final before and won their first and only trophy in 1962-63 when the team coached by Paolo Tabanelli lifted the Coppa Italia.
Therefore, tonight’s Europa League Final against Bayer Leverkusen can be a massive turning point in the club’s history and a deserved recognition of Gian Piero Gasperini’s work in Bergamo.
When the Grugliasco-born coach was appointed by La Dea in 2016, the club had finished the previous Serie A campaign in 13th and Gasp’s impact was immediate. Atalanta finished fourth in 2016-17, qualifying for the Europa League, and during the following seasons, the coach led the team to three consecutive Champions League qualifications, going only five minutes away from reaching the semifinal in 2019-20.
Europa League Final a possible turning point for Atalanta
That was the peak of Atalanta’s history, but the Nerazzurri can reach new heights tonight. A win would send La Dea into a new dimension and push the club to continue an impressive project. As co-owner Stephen Pagliuca said in an interview on Tuesday, the aim for the Bergamo-based club is to become a credible Scudetto contender in the coming years.
Atalanta may have lost three Coppa Italia Finals under Gasperini, but their playing style has set a new standard for Italian football with aggressive man-to-man marking, intensity and quick transitions. Many emerging Serie A coaches played under Gasperini and are using a similar playing style.
Thiago Motta, Raffaele Palladino and Ivan Juric have all learned from Gasp and have combined impressive results with an exciting playing style with their teams, paving the way for a new Renaissance for football in the Peninsula.
Europa League Final a possible turning point for Italian football
All Italian football fans will be closely watching Atalanta tonight and will surely be cheering on La Dea. A success in Dublin, in fact, would allow Italian clubs to have six representatives in next season’s Champions League, provided that Atalanta also finish outside the top four in the Serie A table.
Atalanta have already qualified for the Champions League by securing a mathematical top-five finish, but the extra spot granted by the UEFA Coefficient ranking will be used by Roma instead if Atalanta lift the cup tonight and finish outside the top four.
Europa League Final a possible turning point for Gasperini
Lastly, tonight’s Europa League Final may be a turning point for Gasperini as well. The experienced coach has been linked with the Napoli job and is said to be Aurelio De Laurentiis’ first option for 2024-25. Gasp’s contract at the Gewiss Stadium runs out in June 2025, but according to Sky Sport Italia, completing his eight-year spell with a European trophy could convince the 66-year-old to end his spell in Bergamo and start a new chapter of his career at the Stadio Maradona.
I love how you didn’t mention that a victory in the europa league would be a first for an italian club THIS century 😩 But sadly it will end in tears.
Tears for Leverkusen