Isak Hien’s journey to becoming one of Atalanta’s defensive leaders is a testament to personal growth and adaptability in football. Just six years ago, in 2018, Hien was playing as a striker. “Yes, but I wasn’t scoring, so my coach at the time and I thought about finding a solution,” he explains with a smile to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Now, under Gian Piero Gasperini’s guidance, Hien has evolved into a crucial part of Atalanta’s formidable defense.
When asked about Atalanta’s and his own evolution, Hien emphasizes the team’s relentless drive for improvement: “Every match and every week, this team shows its desire to improve. We’re never satisfied; we don’t stop at the results we achieve. We want to be an increasingly strong team. This spirit is our strength.”
Hien praises the club’s family-like atmosphere, from the Percassi family to sporting director D’Amico: “It’s important to see and feel them always close; they are physically present in Zingonia during the week. There’s a family atmosphere, without forgetting the fans. Here, everyone is united both when we win and when we lose.”
On Gasperini’s specific work with him, Hien shares: “On various details. For example, the positioning in marking during aerial duels. I used to stay behind the striker; here I work a lot on staying beside them. The goal is to anticipate, but being lateral gives us a different view to choose whether to try or wait. I’ve also learned from Djimsiti and Kolasinac.”
Discussing Atalanta’s playing style, Hien notes the emphasis on ball-playing defenders: “In Verona, we were asked less in terms of playing out from the back; here it’s different. It’s nice to always have this approach of not just kicking the ball away but playing it as much as possible. We work a lot on developing the game starting from us defenders. We’re not the best in Italy in this aspect; we have room to grow further.”
Regarding Atalanta’s high defensive line, Hien feels comfortable: “It’s not something so new for me, and now we play like this with Sweden too. But I’m never alone; there’s always a teammate, if not two, helping to cover.”
As Atalanta prepares to resume their campaign against Parma, Hien stresses the importance of focus: “We must put maximum attention into this match. It will be tough; this summer in a friendly we saw that they are a very strong team. To take points, we’ll have to give our best. We haven’t won before stepping onto the field; we have to play and play well to avoid conceding goals.”
On Atalanta’s impressive defensive record, Hien reflects: “I think it’s hard for all our opponents to face us. I felt it too when I was at Verona: Atalanta was and is a strong, quality team that always fights as if it had to avoid relegation.”
When asked about Scudetto ambitions, Hien remains grounded: “It’s not a thought even if people talk about it. But we know that football is like this and the championship is very long. And it applies to other teams too. We only think about the next game.”
Hien also touches on his multicultural background, with a Swedish mother and Ghanaian father: “My father arrived in Sweden around the age of 30. I’m very close to him and my mom. My two brothers and I have always played football. Our parents never put pressure on us; even though dad was my coach between 6 and 10 years old, I never felt under pressure. We’ll always be grateful to them.”
On his linguistic skills, Hien shares: “I speak three languages: Swedish, English, and Italian. Now with Sulemana, I want to learn Ghanaian!”
