After a match like this, with a result like this, the coach could only present himself with a smile Gasperini to the microphones of Mediaset after the 6-1 against Cesena. And in fact the coach immediately underlines that he appreciated the spirit shown by his team.
«We are in a moment of great confidence and this evening’s approach was also positive, albeit with some new guys or players who needed to play. We entered the field well from the start and we also recovered some injured players like Zappacosta. All in all, a positive evening.”
Many would have expected it Zaniolo on the field from the start this evening, Gasp instead preferred to focus on Retegui: «Mateo needed to play and I kept him on the pitch for 90 minutes because his condition had dropped a bit recently. He worked very well, he played an excellent game this evening, even though he didn’t manage to score he gave a good feeling. It was important that he did this.”
But where can this Atalanta go? To make a further leap in level is it necessary to include international players in the group? «We try to build international champions at home – explains the coach -, how Lookman o Ederson. The important thing is that they don’t grow too much otherwise they’ll take them away from us or ask them to leave (laughs, ndr). This is our story anyway. But we are convinced that we have players who have great potential. Then, you know, in the Champions League we met a Real team who on that evening, unlike other matches we have seen previously, put incredibly high values on the field for them too, they managed to keep them for the whole match and do more of us. Great players like Bellingham, if they manage to stay at those levels, are absolute excellence.”
So where can Atalanta still improve to reach those levels? «Well, Real Madrid can’t be our goal – Gasperini comments -. But at this moment we have great confidence, enthusiasm, also thanks to an extraordinary audience we are experiencing a truly very positive moment. This evening, in a Coppa Italia match against a second-tier team, the stadium was full and this gives the players great confidence. What we always try to do is to improve ourselves on a technical level, because we are there and we are very far ahead in terms of motivation, behavior, attitudes and desire to do things. The technical plan, however, never ends.”
Finally, a note on De Ketelaerewho in Bergamo found the smile that seemed lost after his experience at Milan. «But I didn’t understand how you made him sad – jokes the coach -. Maybe the Bergamo air is good for you, because he has always been sunny. He is an intelligent boy, very calm for his age, but also smiling and cheerful with his classmates. We have never had this type of problem with him and I believe that Milan, when they signed him, also considered this aspect. Then it’s clear: he’s getting great satisfaction from a technical point of view and this helps.”
