Bergamo jumped on him, like he jumped on Bayer Leverkusen. The day before last night, after the triumph in the Europa League final, the big party in the hotel with the team, framed by the fans who flocked to Dublin, while the echo of the lovers of the Goddess who had invaded the center of the city arrived. Yesterday the hug at Orio airport, on Sunday the hug from all of Bergamo. Love grips. And so, untying the knot of the future, for Gian Piero Gasperini, in this whirlwind of emotions, is even a little more complicated. But he must do it in the space of a few hours, between today and tomorrow, meeting the Percassi to discuss the Goddess to come. This is not a new situation. A couple of seasons ago, when they sat down for the same reason, the Rome destination was much more than a hypothesis. Gasp, in recent days, has reasoned publicly on the topic: “In fact, this would be the ideal time to leave”. Real. Ending the golden cycle without a victory would have been annoying. Doing it now after having reached the maximum possible goal would make sense. Yes, because, given Atalanta’s current status, the Scudetto or Champions League are almost impossible missions. Gasp was aiming for the Italian Cup, which he felt was an objective within the club’s reach and he achieved much more: the Europa League, the maximum.
NAPLES IS CALLING
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To the awareness of having somehow completed the 8-year work, placing the first international trophy on the board, were added the proposals received in different languages, but, above all, the insistent ones from De Laurentiis’s Napoli, determined to involve him in the renaissance architected by the new general manager Manna, a former Juventus player like Gasp, ready to support the new coach’s technical project. And if Napoli were convinced of Gasperini before, let alone now, after seeing him crush the German champions, unbeaten in 51 games. How would Maradona look at the football he saw in Dublin? It is humanly understandable and professionally legitimate that Gasp considers everything. The slight restlessness that can be sensed in the Percassi, frightened by the “beautiful woman”, an alternative to the Goddess, is also understandable and legitimate. Diversity of views on the latest market had created electricity. At a certain point, with results and a limping ranking, it seemed that the season could derail. Then the glorious swerve. Dublin’s triumph, if it energized Naples even more, may have worked in Bergamo’s favour.
RICH DISH
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Set in front of Gasperini is this laid table: European Super Cup already on August 14th in Warsaw. Maybe against Ancelotti, the challenge to his more successful colleague. Real Madrid-Atalanta sounds like a fairy tale: Cinderella at the court ball; a provincial club, without championships, against the most glorious in history. And then the renewed Champions League and the Riyadh Super Cup, with Inter, Milan and Juve. Can you get up from a table like this, no matter how fascinating the new thing is? Perhaps Gasp was wondering this on the sweetest night of his life, while standing on the chairs of the Radisson, hugging Antonio Percassi, moved to tears, he sang: «We are the champions!».
THE DECISION
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Today or tomorrow, the Percassis and Gasperini will sit down to decide the future. Gasperini has always considered the possibility of updating the challenge and raising the bar to be fundamental for the happiness of a couple. He wants to feel on board an ambitious, moving technical project. So far it has been: Champions League participation, three Italian Cup finals, Europa League… Now Gasp wants to find himself with Inter, Milan and Juve not only in Riyadh, but also in Serie A. Which does not mean immediately fighting for the scudetto, but positioning himself permanently among the top 5 and certify a new status. The leap up implies a market adjustment. Which, to Percassi’s credit, has already partly happened.
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SAMPLES
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If you spend 20 million on a goalkeeper (Musso), you are no longer the Atalanta you were before. The outlays for Ederson, De Ketelaere and Scamacca are large and, for a non-metropolitan club like Atalanta, sustainability remains a priority, through the valorization of talents. What is Gasperini asking then? To increase the share of investments, even at the cost of reducing capital gains and adjusting the salary ceiling, given the treasure that has ended up in the cash register in these 8 years, knowing that the increase in competitiveness can increase revenues. In money? Good young players, but also 2-3 accomplished, enthralling champions. Gasp would like them both in attack (one more external), because that’s where he has fun, like certain children who only make them happy if you give them trains. And then a physical and dribbling midfielder to include in the rotations. He serves to increase the quality of the end push. It goes without saying that Koopmeiners remains. Percassi will illustrate his vision. If they match, Gasp could become a full-fledged Gasperson, surpassing the 10 years of Atalanta (2016-26), happy like a toy train child, with a dream Goddess. Otherwise Naples and “the beautiful woman” could be happy.
