Atalanta's Gasperini on reaching UEFA Europa League final by beating Marseille
Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini on reaching UEFA Europa League final by beating Marseille
Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy
Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy
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00:00Good evening everyone. Mr Gasperini is at your disposal.
00:05As always, before the question, name, surname and age, let's start here.
00:12Good evening coach, congratulations. Martino Cardani, Atalanta Live.
00:16Atalanta's strength is that they know how to alternate games,
00:20like the one in the league in which they kept the pace a little lower,
00:24and games like this in which you dominated Marseille.
00:28Is it a sign of maturity for a team that reached the European final?
00:32Thank you coach and congratulations again.
00:36I don't know, I think we play a lot of games,
00:40and it's not always easy to play as you would like.
00:45There are games that we do better than other games,
00:50in which we struggle more,
00:52but even at Salerno, thankfully we didn't lose,
00:56we won, and tonight was a better game.
01:05Good evening coach, Giorgio Dusi, Bergamo News.
01:07First of all, I'd like to thank you for everything you've done for Bergamo.
01:10Thank you.
01:11We were talking about the wait the other day, the spasmodic wait for this game.
01:17It was exactly as you imagined it, on the pitch but also in the environment,
01:22there was a special atmosphere, a different atmosphere tonight at the stadium.
01:28We said it yesterday in the press conference,
01:31that this was a game in which there was a city around us,
01:35there was a fibrillation, a wait,
01:38wherever you went around Bergamo,
01:41whether it was a bar, a street, a shop, a street,
01:44you could feel it.
01:47When there are these emotions, these energies,
01:52it's clear that the players can feel them.
01:56We knew it was going to be a decisive game,
02:01so it was special,
02:03and they interpreted it as energy in the best way.
02:08Please.
02:11Is it off?
02:12Good evening coach, Alberto Giambruno, Netwik.
02:14Congratulations.
02:15Thank you.
02:16Tonight we can say that all roads lead to Rome,
02:19but also to Dublin,
02:20so it's the second final of the season.
02:23What was the first thing that came to your mind when you saw the final whistle?
02:31I also thought about the fans' chants,
02:34that we're going to Dublin.
02:36I started to think about it.
02:38I didn't know what the result would be.
02:43At the time, Rome were 2-0 up,
02:45they were 2-1 up.
02:47Of course, it would have been between us and Rome.
02:51We would have needed a place in the Champions League.
02:58That's how it went,
03:00so a bit of thought went straight to the final.
03:05Even though we have some important games to play in the meantime,
03:10I think it's going to be a fantastic, historic moment for Atalanta's history.
03:18If you don't mind, I'd also like to thank teams like ours,
03:22clubs like ours,
03:23that don't have a large number of players,
03:26compared to some metropolises,
03:30that find themselves playing in a final like that.
03:33We'll all pay attention to that.
03:35I think it's a good omen for all the teams,
03:39even if they're not at the top of their game.
03:42Teams that can reach important goals,
03:45even if they don't necessarily have the numbers that seem to be the most important today.
03:53You need to have an audience,
03:55you need to have numbers,
03:57you need to necessarily have super leagues.
04:00Atalanta, on the other hand,
04:03on these results of ours,
04:06maybe we can give hope to many other teams,
04:10because football is great for meritocracy,
04:15more than for the rights acquired genetically.
04:21Please, over here.
04:25Hi coach, Fabrizio Carcano, good morning.
04:27There are carousels and fireworks outside.
04:30Four years ago, when there was silence and sirens,
04:33Atalanta won two finals,
04:35a victory for all these people.
04:37Absolutely, yes.
04:39It's been four years since we went to Lisbon,
04:49to play in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
04:52We almost forgot,
04:59but the beauty, in addition to the football matches,
05:02is the crowd show.
05:04The crowd shows are always among the most beautiful,
05:08sometimes even more beautiful than the matches,
05:12when there is no violence in the middle,
05:14when there is only participation.
05:17It's clear that after a few years,
05:21to see the stadium so full,
05:23and I really hope that this stadium will end,
05:27to be able to play a match of this level
05:31in a completely finished stadium,
05:35and maybe full, with so many people.
05:37This, for Atalanta,
05:39will be the next goal for the future,
05:42that we hope to achieve.
05:45Please, here.
05:47Alberto Porfiri from Teleclusone.
05:49Congratulations again, coach.
05:51Thank you.
05:52I wanted to ask if you didn't sleep last night,
05:55thinking about Atalanta,
05:56even more offensive than usual,
05:58who played tonight.
06:00Will you be able to sleep tonight,
06:02given the emotion you're feeling?
06:05Maybe tonight.
06:07I usually sleep at night,
06:09before the matches.
06:11After the matches, I have a lot more difficulty.
06:14This is our DNA.
06:16We had all the conditions to play an offensive match,
06:21a match with a trident of attack,
06:25composed of attackers,
06:27and not three-quarters, etc.
06:33It was a force,
06:35even if we could have been more concrete.
06:39We kept the match open.
06:41We created a lot,
06:43but we kept the match open,
06:45at least until 2-0 against Ruggieri.
06:47In Europe, it's not enough
06:49to find a match that changes direction.
06:54Please.
06:55Good evening, coach.
06:56Marco Lombardo from Il Giornale.
06:58After the match against Liverpool,
07:00you revealed the attitude of the team at half-time,
07:04which you didn't want to give up.
07:06You said this is the triumph of a coach's work.
07:09What can you say about Ruggieri's goal tonight?
07:12He's a young player,
07:14who did something that is a bit like his school game.
07:19He scored in a way that you believed in.
07:24Yes, I'm very happy for him.
07:26He scored an extraordinary goal.
07:28He had already scored a great goal in Lisbon
07:31at the start of the season.
07:34If I have to tell you
07:36what I felt in training,
07:38on the right,
07:40it's hard to believe.
07:41On the left, yes.
07:42I often saw him play very well.
07:44He crossed the ball in that condition.
07:47It was really extraordinary.
07:50But what I really liked
07:53is how he got in,
07:55apart from his performance,
07:57his ability to get in,
07:59and his courage.
08:01He was in a good position,
08:03and it was right to shoot.
08:05But in other moments,
08:07he would have tried to get the ball
08:09on his foot comfortably,
08:11and he would have ended up not shooting.
08:13I always tell him,
08:15when you get into the area,
08:17even if you're 25 metres away,
08:19you can't believe it,
08:21but even if you shoot with your foot,
08:23you can always score.
08:25He scored an extraordinary goal.
08:27I'm very happy for him,
08:29and I'm very proud of him.
08:31He's a worthy lad,
08:33he grew up in Zingonia,
08:35he grew up at Atalanta.
08:37This is a great award for him,
08:39but I think it's also for Atalanta.
08:41Please.
08:42Giuseppe Bisanti, Radio Rai.
08:44Good evening.
08:45I'm going to show you this image
08:47I got from my station.
08:49Two minutes to go,
08:51and you finally melt,
08:53turn to the bench,
08:55and smile.
08:57It's like watching fireworks.
08:59It's almost like the end of an American movie.
09:01It's beautiful,
09:03I didn't expect it to be so beautiful.
09:05Atalanta are improving,
09:07they play every three days,
09:09it's getting more and more difficult,
09:11but Atalanta are getting better.
09:15Yes, it's also right
09:17to celebrate,
09:19as we celebrated tonight
09:21in the changing rooms,
09:23because it's a historic achievement for us.
09:25It's the first time
09:27that Atalanta
09:29reach in their history
09:31a European final of this size,
09:33but we didn't win it.
09:35When you win,
09:37you really celebrate.
09:41Now we celebrated,
09:43after Liverpool,
09:45after Lisbon's Sporting,
09:47we celebrated.
09:49It's right,
09:51but we know very well
09:53that it's not over.
09:57There will be other games,
09:59Roma, Juventus,
10:01then there will be the final of Dublin,
10:03which is the one
10:05that removes
10:07our thoughts,
10:09it motivates us much more.
10:13At this moment,
10:15yes,
10:17it's difficult
10:19to make a ranking,
10:21but it's a prestigious one,
10:23because one gives you the Champions League,
10:25two gives you
10:27an international cup,
10:29even the Coppa Italia
10:31is an extraordinary achievement for us,
10:33but among the two,
10:35I think this is the most prestigious.
10:37Please.
10:39Hi Gianpiero, I'm here.
10:41André Riscassi, Rai Sport.
10:43Tonight's referee was Zagabria,
10:454-0.
10:47What has Zagabria done
10:49today and where can this team go?
10:51Thank you.
10:53Zagabria, at a certain point,
10:55Gritti and I were looking at each other,
10:59we happened
11:01in another dimension,
11:03we weren't behind,
11:05we scored three goals.
11:07We couldn't keep up
11:09with the pace,
11:11the speed,
11:13how they came into the area,
11:15first shots, first goals.
11:17I said, this is the Champions League.
11:19I have to say that in these years
11:21there have been moments,
11:23we played against
11:25Manchester City,
11:271-0 up, we conceded five goals.
11:29Against Liverpool,
11:31here at home,
11:33we conceded five goals.
11:35And every time I thought
11:37if it was the case
11:39to play
11:41in a different way,
11:43also because
11:45a lot of people were arrogant
11:47and presumptuous,
11:49and maybe to end up
11:512-0 or 3-0
11:53or 3-1 or something like that.
11:55Instead, we were all
11:57very stubborn.
11:59Then we managed to equalize
12:01against City, we managed to beat
12:03Liverpool, we managed
12:05to win
12:07against Ajax on the road,
12:09we managed to get all the points
12:11that we played for
12:13in the best fields
12:15in Europe.
12:17This year we made a remarkable
12:19journey in the Europa League
12:21and we always tried
12:23to carry on our identity,
12:25always.
12:29But I have to say that in Europe
12:31we conceded
12:33a few bad games.
12:35I remember the one against Leipzig
12:37where we played an extraordinary 1-1
12:39from them, where we deserved
12:41to win. Then at home
12:43we made a few mistakes.
12:45But in Europe
12:47we often did well.
12:51Good evening, Mr. Matteo Brega, Gazetta dello Sport.
12:53Not long ago, the President
12:55said that maybe one day
12:57we will have a top player.
12:59Do you want to finish the sentence?
13:01Do you want to add something?
13:03I would be in a hurry
13:05to say it, but...
13:07The President
13:09also said that the coach
13:11doesn't ask for a player.
13:13Yes, I have to start asking.
13:15I don't know,
13:17you have to say this.
13:19We have already changed
13:21several teams.
13:23If I think about the first years,
13:25even Zagreb, I don't know who remained.
13:27Maybe De Roon.
13:29I don't know, I would have to go and see the formations.
13:31There were very few left.
13:33We had
13:35an extraordinary formation
13:37that played very well.
13:41With great technical quality.
13:43Then it changed a bit.
13:45Now it has changed a lot.
13:47This is a team that
13:49technically, even tonight,
13:51is not so precise.
13:55But it has other important qualities.
13:57We played against
13:59strong teams.
14:01We held on well.
14:03The technical aspect
14:05is still missing.
14:07There are still some
14:09possibilities
14:11to close.
14:13But we have
14:15completely different characteristics
14:17compared to the teams behind,
14:19but still effective.
14:21Last one here.
14:25Good evening, Emanuele Gamba, Repubblica.
14:27I wanted to ask about the speech
14:29you made earlier on Atalanta, on the numbers, etc.
14:31Also for the Bayer Leverkusen.
14:33Do you prefer
14:35a game like this,
14:37or do you prefer
14:39to meet
14:41one of those metropolitans
14:43like Liverpool or City?
14:45When you meet
14:47those teams,
14:49apparently there is
14:51a better prestige.
14:55Because they are
14:57the history of football.
14:59But the Bayer Leverkusen
15:01that we played
15:03only two years ago against them
15:05in the Europa League.
15:09There was no Savi Alonso.
15:11It was already a great team.
15:13We passed the turn.
15:15Then we were eliminated
15:17by Leipzig.
15:21It's true.
15:23There are two teams that
15:25perhaps don't have
15:27such fantastic numbers
15:29or such important numbers.
15:31They are not the ones
15:33that are particularly liked
15:35on TV for the audience
15:37and for the high praise.
15:41But they are two teams
15:43that play football
15:45and they won an extraordinary championship.
15:47In an incredible way.
15:51For the path
15:53that we are taking in these years.
15:57It's a novelty.
15:59As I said before,
16:01it leaves a lot to be desired.
16:03Perhaps it makes you think
16:05that football can be played
16:07without necessarily
16:09millions of followers
16:11and millions of people
16:13and fans.
16:15Football is not only for them.
16:17It's for our 14,000
16:19tonight.
16:21Thank you all.
16:23Good evening.