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Gasperini: “When my Atalanta plays like this, it’s worthy of the Ballon d’Or”

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Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini recently shared his thoughts on the team’s performance and their journey as they prepared for the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris. Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gasperini touched on Serie A as a whole this season, Ademola Lookman’s nomination, and the Serie A title race. 

Today can you say you’re as happy as you were in Dublin?

“Yes, I’m happy. We all know that the Ballon d’Or rewards individuals to explain results, but I would have been overjoyed if they had nominated Atalanta instead of me, because it would have better captured what we’ve achieved in these years. Atalanta has small numbers compared to top clubs, but has reached an enormous result.”

What did you say to Lookman on the flight to Paris?

“That if he hadn’t had De Roon, Ederson, Djimsiti and the whole group behind him, he wouldn’t be here. He already knew that: it’s not certain that in another team he would have done what he did. So I just asked him if he had a tuxedo: he told me he doesn’t wear one, but that he would wear a bow tie.”

But against Verona, he did have a tuxedo…

“Playing well for me doesn’t depend on scoring goals or not. When he plays like that with the team, it’s extraordinary, and as long as I’m here, playing for Atalanta will require, above all, sharing everything. From everyone.”

Have you talked again about the summer discontent?

“No, also because it wasn’t a good moment. And who knows if certain hypotheses won’t come up again, hopefully not in January. But for now, it’s only important that he’s so ‘inside’ the team.”

Retegui quickly got ‘inside’ Atalanta.

“Selfishness in strikers is understandable, but you only become a locomotive when you understand that your results also come through the team. From last year, I had an image in my eyes: his argument over taking a penalty. With us, he missed one against Arsenal, but he still takes them: because he takes them well, not because he has to become top scorer. And obviously, we all hope he succeeds.”

Did you expect him to be this strong?

“We knew he had the right characteristics to replace Scamacca, but that he would immediately score so many goals wasn’t imaginable. But it’s all his own doing, I just encourage him to do, and do better, the extra things he can do.”

What a nice puzzle when you’ll have Scamacca back too…

“What puzzle: strong teams are made by strong attacks, and if we have a weak point today, it’s the number of pure strikers in the squad. I’ve never prepared for a match, even against the strongest teams, without thinking about how to score against them. When I have Scamacca back, I’ll just be very happy.”

As you like to say, you always sort out the defense. And you haven’t really had Kossounou and Scalvini yet.

“Kossounou is almost recovered, now he needs to be given a good base to avoid other injuries. Scalvini is like a new signing, and a quality one: he’s just completing the work to overcome a bit of deficit on his operated leg.”

How much did De Ketelaere need Saturday’s goal?

“A great goal, Ilicic-style. But he also makes many assists: I always count those too, not just the goals, and I add them up. But since the beginning of the season, Charles has been giving me satisfaction, just look at how he moves on the field: he’s gaining confidence, I see him leaving matches always satisfied.”

When will we see Samardzic and Zaniolo in total confidence?

“Those who play with me know that my team is always open to everyone. And when needed, I take Muriel as an example and how much he scored as a substitute: for me, the starters are not those who play from the beginning, but the 16 who go on the field.”

When will you tell us where Atalanta can reach this year?

“After the January transfer market…”

And where do you hope it will be in January?

“In the European zone in the league and still in the running in the Italian Cup and Champions League. In Europe, everything is still to be won and from here to January there are many matches, the calendar will become more difficult. But I have confidence: the team is doing well, playing beautiful matches also from a technical point of view, better than last year in this period.”

How much and what can the Napoli match say?

“This I’ll tell you on Thursday, after Atalanta-Monza. It’s too important to ‘carry with us’ the recent performances: I’m not talking about numbers – that would be too good – but for the determination and desire I’ve seen in the last matches. We’ve learned the lesson from the defeat against Como, and Monza can confirm that victories fuel energy, not satisfaction.”

What did Inter-Juve tell you?

“Two teams with great room for improvement. But this applies to everyone, in this championship that in a month might be different again.”

Are they the candidates for the title?

“I say Inter and Napoli. But Juve and Milan can grow a lot: if we look at it well, already after nine rounds the standings tell many truths.”

Do you see them as so superior to Atalanta?

“When we faced Inter, the team was two steps below: in these two months we’ve grown a lot, but it takes more than 3-4 games to weigh the continuity of our progress and theirs too. We’ll talk about this again at the end of the first half of the season, okay?”

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