The more the days pass, the more the disbelief of unbridled joy gives way to a proud awareness, and the incredible whisper becomes news: Atalanta won the Europa League. Today is the real first anniversary: one month since the night in Dublin. And the feeling is that – after parties (far too many: they cost third place in the championship), epic stories told and listened to – finally we are all becoming aware of what happened: yes, Atalanta really won the Europa League.
It was May 22, 2024, in Dublin there were eight thousand people from Bergamo and outsider Atalanta challenged Bayer Leverkusen first in the Bundesliga who had never lost this season: unbeaten in 51 games. But memorable stories must have a happy ending, so it could only go like this: 3-0 for Atalanta with a hat-trick from Lookman61 years after Domenghini’s hat-trick for the only trophy Atalanta had ever won before: 3-1 against Torino in the 1963 Italian Cup final.
The immediate consequence was a collective intoxication of happiness. From the pitch to the stands in Dublin, from the homes of the Bergamo people to the most remote places where a Nerazzurri heart beats, the party started. The almost incredulous celebration of a victory unimaginable for the size and the way Atalanta deserved it. Even more so when thinking about the group won against the future champions of Portugal and Austria and the reigning champions of Poland, the 3-0 defeats of Liverpool and Marseille, and the 3-0 defeat of the German champions. Now – while the giant image of the cup is traveling around the towns of the province, gathering support in the same way as the modern Pilgrim Madonna – a month after that whirlwind of emotions never felt before, of reasoning that was perhaps even lopsided and of celebrations that were at times even awkward due to lack of habit. at such an event, here is the awareness. Here the world of Atalanta is replacing the chaos of the moment with a rational pride destined to accompany us throughout our lives. From next August 14th in Warsaw with Real Madrid to every trip that awaits us in the next season. And then forever, as long as we can live as Nerazzurri. Ah, Atalanta…
