Can Gasperini’s Atalanta Challenge For The Scudetto?

“Gasperini has been coaching that team [Atalanta] for many years now, and he has clear ideas about what’s missing to make the next step.”

“The base he’s built is excellent. And I do not ‘think’ they’re missing much to fight for the title.”

Those are the words of legendary Italian manager Fabio Capello on Atalanta’s chances of lifting the Scudetto.

After winning the Europa league I pose the question to you, is it time to take Atalanta seriously? The answer…  absolutely!

A Wake-Up Call To The Rest Of The League

After getting their first taste of winning a major trophy, this could ignite a spark in Atalanta and give them the confidence and unleash the hunger for more trophies.  The club has had so many near moments in the last couple of years, losing their last three finals in a row, prior to Europa League victory. The last time the Nerazzurri had lifted a cup was over 60 years ago… during the 1963/64 season winning the Copa Italia. Now it’s one thing to win a trophy, but to break the streak and win a European trophy in such a ruthless manner should be a wake-up call to the rest of the clubs in the division. Bayern Leverkusen on a 51-match unbeaten run (a world record) were ripped apart and were made to look amateur on that night.

The Challenge That Lays Ahead

With the new Serie A season fast approaching there is no denying it will be an incredibly tough task for Atalanta to fight for the Scudetto.  Juventus are already much stronger on paper. With ex-Bologna manager Thiago Motta taking charge after leading Bologna toits first ever champions league finish. Juventus has refortified the squad for their new skipper, signing highly rated central midfielder Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa, Serie A goalkeeper of the year Michele DiGregorio, French international midfielder Khéphren Thuram from OGC Nice, and upstart Colombian centerback Juan Cabal.

Napoli recently appointing the world class and ex-Atalanta manager, Antonio Conte. A serial winner already with five Scudetti to his name with Juventus and Inter Milan. They also boast a top-quality squad. A side, we cannot forget, that recently lifted the Scudetto only two seasons ago.

AC Milan the third team that has a new man in the hotseat. Former Roma manager Paulo Fonseca joins the Rossoneri after the departure of Stefano Pioli was confirmed at the end of last season. Fonseca has spent the last two seasons managing French side Lille helping them to a 4^th place finish last term and leading them to the UEFA conference league quarterfinals, losing to Aston Villa on penalties. Milan a strong side last season finishing runners up to their bitter rivals Inter will be looking to go again seeking their 20^th Scudetto.

Finally Inter Milan last season’s champions, Inzaghi will be looking to defend his crown, a task not managed by an Italian team since Juventus in the 2019/2020 season. Inter have had their own revolving door of sorts, but higher up than the management level. Oaktree Capital Management recently took over the Lombardy based club after the previous owners, Suning a Chinese holding company defaulted on an eye watering €395 million loan payment, meaning the American company absorbed the club and assumed total control. However, it is still too early and so far, unknown how much the change in ownership will impact Inter financially and on the pitch.

It’s The Most Competitive League In Europe After All

In the last five years in Serie A there have been 4 different champions, four different teams lifting the trophy more than any other league across Europe.

This shows exactly just how incredibly competitive and strong the league is. Like I said, Atalanta winning the Europa league should certainly be a wake-up call to all other teams in the league. La Dea have begun strengthening an already strong squad for next season adding some new faces to bolster their ranks. At the time of writing this article we have seen the arrivals of attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo on loan from Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray, central defender Ben Godfrey arriving from Everton, and Ghanian central defensive midfielder Ibrahim Sulemana brought in from Cagliari. The club has also turned Charles De Ketelaere’s initial loan move into a permanent deal. The moves add more quality and most importantly some much needed depth to the squad. Depth is something the team has arguably lacked in recent campaigns.

With another long season ahead and participating in the Coppa Italia & Champions League respectively, Gasperini will need a big squad to be able to manage the players busy workload.

Atalanta The Next Leicester City?

Look at Leicester City. What an incredible story that was way back in the 2015/16 season, led by Roman born Claudio Ranieri he managed to break the grip of the so called “top 4” clubs to win Leicester City’s first ever premier league title. The premiership had been changing hands and mainly dominated by Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, with no other team putting up much of a challenge. It was exciting and very refreshing to see, not to mention historic. I think supporters all over the country were cheering them on unless they were a Chelsea or Man City supporter of course… Why can’t Atalanta make what seems the impossible, possible?

If Anyone Can Do It, It’s Gasperini!

Atalanta, coming off the back of the greatest season in the club’s history, finished 4th in the league, were runners up to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, and of course made history after lifting the Europa League trophy beating German opposition Bayer Leverkusen. The club’s recent historical success all comes down to the man at the helm, Gian Piero Gasperini, and the resources that have been given to him by one of the best run operations in Europe.

Gian Piero Gasperini has been at the helm since 2016 joining from Genoa. What he has done is nothing short of incredible. He has completely revolutionised Atalanta, in the eight years he’s been at the club, taking the Nerazzurri from finishing in the bottom half of the table and transforming them into one of the best, most exciting teams in the whole of Italy. Consistently achieving champions league football, taking them to three Coppa Italia finals in the last 5 years and of course winning the Europa league, Gasperini’s playing style dubbed “Gasperini-ball”  - a combination of high pressing, relentless intensity and aggressive attacking, free-flowing football - a dangerous approach but highly entertaining and effective if done correctly. For a long time, he has been widely praised for his ideas and tactics.

Advantage Atalanta?

I mentioned in the very beginning of this article about the challenge that lay ahead for the Nerazzurri, three out of the top six clubs in the division, AC Milan, Napoli, Juventus have all recently changed their head coaches, meaning a period of transition will be in place for many of the teams challenging for the Scudetto. This could certainly prove to be an advantage for Atalanta with a new coach comes many changes, a change in tactics, formations, starting lineups, Transfer plans, it can take time for those changes to be taken on board by the players and be fully implemented.  Most importantly, Atalanta has foundation is stable, the coaching, philosophy, and majority of the personnel remain, giving La Dea a strong foundation to continue building upon.

A Change in The Clubs Philosophy For Atalanta?

The continuous upwards trajectory Atalanta have been on over the last 6/7 years, they are now a team of champions, led by a man who can now be called a proven winner. For a long time, Atalanta have been a selling club, signing young talent, developing them over a couple of seasons then selling them for huge profit. But could that finally be about to change? The club’s philosophy and attitude towards selling all their best players?

Winning the Europa league could place the club in a position where they now have a big enough presence to be able attract a higher calibre/quality of players to compliment the younger stars in the team.

With Champion’s League football on offer and the chance to work under Gasperini it could prove to be a very attractive move for a player to join an exciting project and give players the chance to make their mark on the next chapter in the club’s history. With an opportunity to go down as a legend/cult hero at the club, to be remembered, all this could prove very appealing.  Ademola Lookman will forever be a hero at the club after his storming Europa League performance, he’s created the blueprint! Not only that but the recent success might actually help convince many of the stars in the team to stay, why leave a successful and ambitious squad?

To Summarise…

Atalanta most certainly have all the pieces of the puzzle on the board to challenge for the Scudetto. They boast everything: a world class manager, a strong youth system arguably the best in Italy which is the ethos of the squad, a gold standard scouting team that turns unknown players into superstars, a beautifully renovated stadium that sells out every match-day that produces a hostile atmosphere. Impeccable ownership by the Percassis, Bergamo men (how many other Serie A teams can say that?!), has made all this possible – and the fanatic supporters of Bergamo proudly live and die with the club.

With such a strong foundation to build from, Atalanta are certainly strong enough to challenge for the title. In my humble opinion it will be very difficult, but not impossible.   

 They have everything they need. Combined with the sheer competitiveness of Serie A and a number of clubs going through a transitional period with new management, it could be the perfect storm for Atalanta to pull of their own version of Leicester City’s historic run.  

La Dea have every chance, I believe that if Atalanta were to go all the way in the not-too-distant future, just like Leicester City did during that incredible season in 2015/16, many fans from all over the country and supporters of other clubs in the league, would also be rooting for them and cheering them on! For the citizens of Bergamo they live and breathe Atalanta, to the people the Nerazzurri is a way of life and if they were to lift the scudetto it would go down in the history books and would never be forgotten in the beautiful city of Bergamo.

Forza Atalanta!