Bergamo has never been so crazy happy. And inside a city madly in love with Atalanta fifty thousand people from Bergamo celebrated, celebrated and sanctified an achievement and a joy never hoped for before. It’s been ten days since the evening of the miracles in Dublin that the sky has turned black and blue. Like yesterday, the city, its streets, the windows of the houses, the flags on the Sentierone, on the church of San Bartolomeo and the flags on the Walls. Like the souls of the fans. From the departure of the bus of joy in Colle Aperto to the triumphal arrival at the stadium, it was not a catwalk, but a collection of messages of love from everyone. Fans overcome by a new happiness. To know what it feels like to win for once. Experiencing a night where other fans look at you and would like to be you, to have what you have. And that is, in addition to the Cup, a passion finally rewarded, capable of spanning generations.
The grandparents who celebrate with their grandchildren are the young people who were there in ’63, but many of those born after that conquest still didn’t know what it meant to raise a trophy to the sky. They’re trying it now, as if it were a Saint Lucia that they wait for all year round. But over a hundred years have passed here. And then this long movable celebration begins, everyone ideally on the golden chariot, sorry on the winner’s open-top bus which, in his symbolism, takes us back to the triumphs and conquests of the great leaders. History has been made here too, football history for goodness sake, but history nonetheless. They sing, players and fans, together on a journey between two wings of the crowd that opens, winding along the Walls up to another type of wall, the human Nerazzurri one that awaits its heroes in Porta Nuova. Above the bus, where the magic coppone dominates, Gasperini takes on the role of tour leader, responding to the chants that have been in everyone’s ears for months now, receiving the applause and the dedication of the Colle Aperto banner, «Gaspersever». With him an interstellar journey began, from “Take us to Europe” to “Conquer Europe”, who would have thought it would really happen. He smiles, greets everyone, knowing what it means to be in the heart of a city. Which is not like many others, but a city which, in Atalanta, identifies the feelings of an entire people.
Sitting in the front seats of the bus, President Percassi has the same incredulous and moved look that has been in print for days, while who knows what goes through Pagliuca’s head, catapulted into a sort of Colombus Day in an Orobic style, intent on putting on the official celebratory shirt. Smiles de Roon, who before getting on approaches the barriers to shake a few hands, while Hateboer becomes speaker for the occasion and, before the bus moves, someone opens champagne (?) and there is a rush to catch the flying cork in the street.
Everyone is crazy about these guys, who look out smiling in front of a river of people. The chant rises for Koop «Stay with us». The embrace of thousands of people may not change his destiny, but he will carry an emotion like this with him forever, wherever he goes. And he will also remain in the eyes of his teammates, who continue to take photos, praised by all. «Lookman, Scamacca!». And while the sky dresses up as New Year’s Eve with fireworks, a collective happiness explodes in the lower city, like good magic. Porta Nuova had already begun to boil in the early afternoon, when the open-top bus had crossed the Sentierone, but when it was a few minutes to ten it was a huge tide. Here are the samples. Scarves, flags, hands are raised. Applause and tears merge with the smoke bombs, gigantic clouds. Stuff never seen before. It’s a night of oysters and champagne after years of championships and poor soups that no one remembers anymore. Time passes and changes things, erasing some of them. Time always wins and does not stop, but for one night Atalanta’s lovers have found the antidote. And it was beautiful.
