The Reds coach: “If they play like this, they deserve to beat us.” And the gesture almost seems like a recognition of the European stature of the Bergamo people
He goes to thank the away team, takes off his hat as a sign of gratitude to the fans who have always supported him for nine years in Europe, then turns towards the Bergamo crowd and applauds them. Jürgen Klopp’s gesture combined with the result of the double match symbolizes better than anything else the European consecration of Atalanta, who returned to an international semi-final 36 years after that legendary double match with Malines in the Cup Winners’ Cup.
you deserve
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“If you play like this, you deserve to beat us”, declared the Reds manager at the end of the match. After the final whistle Klopp stopped on the pitch to exchange jokes with Gian Piero Gasperini, before paying thanks to the Gewiss Stadium. Mutual respect : upon the arrival of the Liverpool buses at the stadium, the hundreds of Nerazzurri fans raised their scarves, but remained silent.
pride
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Sense of identity, which when playing in Europe often ends up making the difference. It can only be acquired with experience and success: the one against Liverpool is by far the most important in Atalanta’s history due to the caliber of the opponent, but also for the way in which it arrived. Playing as Atalanta, from start to finish. Pressing, intensity, determination. The shirt is always sweaty, as they like to say in Bergamo. “At half-time I asked the boys if they wanted to lower themselves more, we were suffering: if there had been one who said yes…” revealed Gasperini. We know the ending.
history
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For Atalanta it is yet another medal in a European journey that began with the nights in Dortmund or Liverpool (the blue side of Everton), which led them to compete on equal terms with everyone: Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City. However, never in this Gasperinian cycle had the Dea managed to get into the semi-finals, equaling the 1988 double match against Malines which they lost in the Cup Winners’ Cup. It was the highest point, the iconic captain Glenn Strömberg was on the pitch: the Swede was at the stadium last night (he works with Swedish TV), in the pre-match he greeted the Curva Nord with emotion and at the end he celebrated. The circle closes.
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