Former Italy national team coach Cesare Prandelli has reaffirmed his belief in Atalanta as a strong contender for the Serie A title. With Atalanta currently sitting second in the league table, level on points with Inter, Fiorentina, and Lazio, and just one point behind leaders Napoli, Prandelli’s July prediction seems increasingly prescient.
“Atalanta grows every year and is now consistently among the teams qualifying for the Champions League,” Prandelli explained to Gazzetta dello Sport. “Winning transmits a unique conviction, and their Europa League triumph last season could push Gasperini’s team to surprise in the league as well. Atalanta may not be the favorite, but they can become the wild card in the Scudetto race.”
Prandelli highlighted manager Gian Piero Gasperini as Atalanta’s key strength: “Gasperini is a true master. He’s much more than a good coach; he’s now an English-style manager who has been working in Bergamo for years. His escalation at Atalanta demonstrates the advantage of having a coach who is also decisive in technical choices.”
The former national team coach praised Gasperini’s ability to improve players and design roles that enhance both individuals and the collective. He also emphasized that Atalanta’s style goes beyond man-to-man marking: “It’s time to stop talking about Atalanta only in terms of man-to-man play: it’s not even true. They are aggressive, but they have ideas, they play to build and attack in depth.”
Prandelli expressed no surprise at Mateo Retegui’s leading goal-scoring record, attributing it to Gasperini’s ability to improve strikers. He also noted Ademola Lookman’s exponential growth under Gasperini’s guidance.
While acknowledging that Inter, Napoli, and Juventus have slightly stronger squads, Prandelli placed Atalanta right behind them in terms of title contention. “If Atalanta maintains this conviction and the others lose points, never say never,” he stated. “For the spectacle and Italian football, it would be extraordinary to reach May with six teams within two points as it is now.”
Prandelli concluded by praising managers Palladino and Baroni for their impressive starts with Fiorentina and Lazio respectively, highlighting the unpredictability and excitement of the current Serie A season.
