«Being favored doesn’t matter much. It counts how you play. Because the result is a consequence of the performance.” Gian Piero Gasperini’s words on the eve go beyond the historic appointment with the first leg of the Europa League semi-final which on Thursday 2 May (kick-off at 9pm) at the Orange Velodrome stadium in Marseille will see Atalanta against Frenchmen from Olympique.
About ten seconds of declaration, a line and a half of text, a summary of eight years of work by the technician who built the Atalanta phenomenon on this thought. To the point of making the opposing coach Jean-Louis Gasset – OM’s third coach in this troubled season, in which he replaced the Italian Rino Gattuso in February – consider Atalanta as «the strongest team faced this year in the Europa League». In a list that includes illustrious names such as Shakhtar Donetsk, Villarreal and Benfica.
Gasperini: «Did we win at San Siro and Anfield? But this is another game”
For the rest, Gasperini firmly rejects questions about his future (“there’s no need to talk about it, we’re in a good situation”) and asks his players for “courage and quality”. Those who have already shown this season at San Siro with Milan in the Italian Cup and at Anfield with Liverpool in the Europa League. «But this is another game – warns Gasp – we start again from 0-0». Against a team that, unlike Atalanta, involved on three fronts, has the last chance to save their season in the European match: «But in Europe they did well to reach the semi-finals, and so did we in this match we’re only interested in Europe, we’re not thinking about the Cup and Italy or the championship. So we are both playing this match with the same objective, which is to qualify. But we also want to make a good impression in such a prestigious stadium.”
Marseille-Atalanta, the day before: all the photos from the Vélodrome
Atalanta is ready for a historic match, the Europa League semi-final against Marseille. The first leg will be played on Thursday 2 May at the Vélodrome, one of the most iconic stadiums in European football.
Yes, the stadium. That Orange Velodrome (capacity of around 67 thousand spectators, just under 3 thousand from Bergamo) which promises to be a fiery basin in which the Marseillais will play many of their chances of qualifying, aiming for a positive result on which perhaps they can speculate in the return away. As they did in the round of 16 against Villarreal (4-0 at home, 1-3 in Spain). As Fiorentina tried to do, but failed, in the semi-final of the Italian Cup against the Nerazzurri: «But we hope to do better here than in the first leg in Florence – smiles Gasperini -. It’s clear that the first leg matters a lot, because it will determine the attitude of the return match. But in the end what matters is being better overall over the course of 180 minutes.”
Gasset: «At home we play a lot, but we will need the perfect match»
«The first leg will be very important – confirms Gasset – we will try to do as in the round of 16 against Villarreal with the help of our fans. Even against Atalanta we will play many of our chances at home, because then in the return leg it will be very difficult. Above all, however, I would like Thursday evening with our fans to be above all a great party. For our part, we will need the perfect race. Atalanta’s strength lies in the specificity of its game systemnow very consolidated: Gasperini has been training there for eight years, and has always finished high: third, fifth, sixth… Atalanta is a great example for the way they work. Gasperini has the trust of the club and has built a team in his image. A team of fighters, one on one across the board. What to do to stop them? I have an idea, you’ll see it on the field. Back four? It’s a hypothesis.”
Gasset (left) and Clauss (right) in the press conference on the eve of Marseille-Atalanta, the match scheduled for Thursday 2 May (Photo by Maraviglia)
Mario Pasalic also has his say on the Velodrome effect, having spent time with Monaco in the Transalpine championship, a man of important matches and heavy goals in recent years in Bergamo: «But the only thing that really matters are the team’s results, not the goals or the performance of the individual. I didn’t play at the Velodrome during my time with Monaco, I was injured. But I know that it is an exceptional environment, stimulating even for the opponents. Because the frame matters zero: we only have to think about what we do on the pitchand there we are eleven on each side.”
Gasset is sure: «Our Aubameyang is the best striker in the Europa League, he is like a father to his teammates and he is still capable of making the difference»
While on the one hand he recognizes Atalanta’s strength, on the other Gasset instead holds on to what he defines «the best striker in the Europa League»: Pierre Aubameyang, a Gabonese who at 34 years old «is still capable of making a difference. For his teammates he is like a father. He played in very big clubs (Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, after six years in Italy between Pro Patria and Milan’s youth teams). Now having him here among us is something huge.”
Clauss on ex-teammate Kolasinac: «He’s a force of nature, he drags you along»
Jonathan Clauss, 31 years old, a winger for OM and the French national team who recently returned after a serious injury, instead sings the praises of Bosnian defender Sead Kolasinac, today Atalanta’s strong point after Marseille let him leave, a a little hastily, on a free transfer last summer: «I haven’t seen him play this year, but Kolasinac is a force of nature, someone who drags you along and transmits energy to you. Last year, having him around was very important. We will always be friends.”
