⚫🔵 Gasperini Masterclass as Atalanta Destroys Leverkusen in Europa League Final

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[00:01:00] At Bet365, we don't do ordinary. We believe that every sport should be epic.

[00:01:06] Every home run, every hit, every inning, every play.

[00:01:10] From the moments that are legendary to the ones that fly under the radar.

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[00:01:59] Right then, Serie A Chronicles, Tifosi. This is Patrick Kendrick.

[00:02:02] Coming to you live from Naples, which this time last year was the footballing capital of Italy.

[00:02:07] It no longer is. And I would even say Milan has been deposed, at least for a week,

[00:02:13] as the footballing capital of Italy because the city we're all talking about,

[00:02:18] the team we're all talking about is of course a city that has been deposed for a week.

[00:02:25] The city we're all talking about, the team we're all talking about is of course ABC.

[00:02:30] Easy as 1-2-3-0 against Leverkusen, Atalanta, Bergamasca, Calcio.

[00:02:36] What a stunning display in Dublin last night. Incredible.

[00:02:41] Absolutely incredible. I believed. I didn't think it would be that easy.

[00:02:45] Sorry, this is a man just lifting up his shutters on the Ordedicola

[00:02:49] where he's selling newspapers, books, et al. Sights and sounds of Naples.

[00:02:54] Anyway, I digress.

[00:02:58] What I would say is I believed because this is an Atalanta side we've seen week in, week out

[00:03:04] for eight years now under Gasparini and sooner or later the worm was going to turn.

[00:03:09] They couldn't always be so passive and unlike Atalanta in finals we kept seeing that.

[00:03:18] Them getting stage fright, them being a little bit more conservative

[00:03:24] than the approach that's got them this far, that has brought them so much success

[00:03:29] that saw them win this season 3-0 at Anfield, lest we forget.

[00:03:33] And there's a real symmetry to that. 3-0 at Anfield and then 3-0 just across the other side of the Irish Sea in Dublin.

[00:03:43] And I have to say, I wasn't overly enamoured of this Leverkusen side.

[00:03:48] I think there was a number of late goals from what I could glean from the numbers.

[00:03:53] I'll hold my hands up and say my specialty is Serie A so I'm not a huge Bundesliga devotee.

[00:04:02] So I would much rather talk about what I know and that was I had faith in Atalanta

[00:04:07] than necessarily be fearful of something that I don't know, fear of the unknown

[00:04:14] even though the numbers were impressive.

[00:04:16] But ultimately having an unbeaten record is one thing, yes.

[00:04:21] Had they won every game by two or three goal cushions then I'd be a lot more willing to say

[00:04:26] okay this is going to be really challenging for Atalanta.

[00:04:28] But it felt like, especially recently, that they were more attached to their unbeaten record than anything else.

[00:04:34] And I think there are a number of streaky late goals.

[00:04:36] We even saw that against Roma where, had Roma not gone gung-ho at the end they could have easily won 2-1.

[00:04:41] In some ways, this is not an Atalanta notion and this is not a Leverkusen podcast

[00:04:49] but I actually think in some ways, in hindsight, Leverkusen would have been better off

[00:04:54] losing that second leg against Roma than the unbeaten record had been and gone.

[00:05:00] They could still argue that actually it didn't matter because they'd won the game on aggregate

[00:05:06] and then there was no longer all that talk about that.

[00:05:09] I think they really felt the pressure in terms of that.

[00:05:11] But what was great was just we saw the importance of Kolashinac and Skamaka,

[00:05:17] neither of whom played in the Coppa Italia final, the former because of injury, the latter because of suspension.

[00:05:23] Skamaka gave Atalanta a presence at the top of the pitch as we thought he would do.

[00:05:27] They missed him against Juventus. Kolashinac allows them to play very aggressively with that back three,

[00:05:32] stepping forward, intercepting the ball, starving Leverkusen of space.

[00:05:38] And what I loved is, and I think this is why Gasperini is so popular with Guardiola

[00:05:44] and Guardiola has so much admiration for Gasperini,

[00:05:48] is the fact that Atalanta made a lot of good, cheap fouls without getting yellow cards.

[00:05:53] Some people might say it's cynical, but they played perfectly within the laws of the game.

[00:05:58] So many of those niggly little fouls in midfield just to stop Leverkusen playing that nice, intricate passing.

[00:06:05] I was impressed with Leverkusen. I have to say, you know, popping it about, a lot of one-twos for a third man run.

[00:06:12] We saw that from Atalanta as well at times. But to a man, Atalanta were just superior.

[00:06:17] I mean, Eddison was outrageously good. Knew exactly where the ball was going, tracked back,

[00:06:23] won 50-50s, negated the pace of Frimpong down the right in particular.

[00:06:29] And this is exactly what Atalanta deserve, what Gasperini deserved for eight years of impeccable running of a football club.

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[00:07:11] At Bet 365, we don't do ordinary. We believe that every sport should be epic.

[00:07:17] Every home run, every hit, every inning, every play.

[00:07:21] From the moments that are legendary to the ones that fly under the radar.

[00:07:25] Whether it's a walk-off grand slam or a base hit to center field.

[00:07:29] Whatever the sport, whatever the moment, it's never ordinary.

[00:07:33] At Bet 365, 21 plus only must be physically located in Virginia.

[00:07:38] Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

[00:07:41] At Bet 365, we don't do ordinary. We believe that every sport should be epic.

[00:07:47] Every home run, every hit, every inning, every play.

[00:07:50] From the moments that are legendary to the ones that fly under the radar.

[00:07:54] See for yourself when you sign up today and get $150 in bonus bets when you bet just $5.

[00:08:00] Whatever the sport, whatever the moment, it's never ordinary.

[00:08:03] At Bet 365, 21 plus only must be physically located in Virginia.

[00:08:08] Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

[00:08:10] Terms and conditions apply.

[00:08:13] Signing players who are unheralded or unfancied or who have underwhelmed elsewhere.

[00:08:19] Developing them on the training ground. Getting the best out of them.

[00:08:22] Having them gel as a team. Not being afraid to sell off assets when they peak in value.

[00:08:28] Backing yourself to reinvest those funds to then strengthen the team and get better incrementally year on year.

[00:08:34] They've done that. And this was the culmination of all of that.

[00:08:38] And it was just so gratifying to see.

[00:08:42] I get it. Gasperini, in fact I'm talking in hushed tones here because if I'm booming the name Gasperini in Naples

[00:08:49] I'll probably get a few dirty looks because he's not popular.

[00:08:52] Outside of Bergamo, he's very unpopular because he rubs people up the wrong way.

[00:08:56] He's very direct. He's very cocksure.

[00:08:59] But ultimately he has courage in his convictions.

[00:09:02] And that was the one takeaway for me yesterday, was his bravery.

[00:09:06] Just how bold he was. They didn't shy away from their principles.

[00:09:10] Leverkusen were unwilling to curb their game plan to stifle Atalanta.

[00:09:16] Which we saw, Juventus actually, a great deal of humility shown from Allegri.

[00:09:22] And actually just almost tacitly saying Atalanta are probably a better footballing side than us.

[00:09:29] But that doesn't mean we can't win on the night.

[00:09:31] And Atalanta were just so meek against Juventus and they were the complete opposite yesterday.

[00:09:37] And I think much of that was because they did have space in which to operate.

[00:09:40] And it could have been even bigger, the scoreline at the end, than the 3-0 victory by which they won ultimately.

[00:09:47] Because to get to Lada, it's an opportunity in the first half.

[00:09:51] But to me it's the perfect example.

[00:09:54] Adam Ola-Lukman playing Park Football till he was 16.

[00:09:57] Sunday League, late bloomer.

[00:10:00] You know, burst onto the scene out of nowhere.

[00:10:04] U17 World Cup winner I think.

[00:10:07] Or was it U20?

[00:10:09] Anyway, U20 I think.

[00:10:12] Either way, you know, in danger of becoming a journeyman, not really finding his feet.

[00:10:19] Atalanta bring him in.

[00:10:21] Gaspinini actually referenced that in his press comments.

[00:10:24] He was asked, what did you see in Lukman? What made you sign him?

[00:10:27] And he talked about Lee Congerton who was at Atalanta before, who'd been at Leicester, who knew about Lukman from Eddington.

[00:10:33] So they've always had a great eye for a player, their scouting network.

[00:10:37] But then they bring them into the club.

[00:10:39] They give them the small town vibe that they need for these players, just to focus on their football.

[00:10:45] You know, they're not harassed and chased all over the place by supporters.

[00:10:51] It's a small town club, small town feel.

[00:10:55] But a very serious operation.

[00:10:58] And for Lukman to score a hat-trick in the final like that was just wonderful.

[00:11:04] Especially as so much of the headlines this season, even though he was their top scorer last season.

[00:11:09] He was away at the Afcon.

[00:11:11] That deprived Atalanta of his services for five weeks.

[00:11:16] All the focus has been on Scamaka, quite rightly, Cope Maynard, etc.

[00:11:20] Di Quetta Lade.

[00:11:21] And yet it was Lukman, the fourth of their players that's into double figures for goals this season, that stole the show with that hat-trick.

[00:11:28] I mean to score a hat-trick in any final was outrageous.

[00:11:31] So I felt very proud to cover at Sanning Football last night.

[00:11:36] I felt very pleased for my friends from Bergamo, for my contacts at Atalanta.

[00:11:41] I was there for the second leg against Liverpool and that was a glorious 1-0 defeat for Atalanta.

[00:11:48] 3-1 aggregate win and it felt like something significant was brewing.

[00:11:52] And if they were to choose which trophy they would have preferred, the Coppa Italia or the Europa League,

[00:11:57] then we all know they would have chosen the latter and they've won the latter.

[00:12:01] So I hope it's just the start.

[00:12:04] If he hunches, Gasperini might now take the opportunity to move on.

[00:12:08] I wouldn't blame him.

[00:12:09] I think if you can depart at the peak of your powers, you don't tarnish your legacy.

[00:12:14] I wouldn't be surprised if he decides to have one big crack elsewhere.

[00:12:18] There are a number of big jobs on the horizon.

[00:12:20] I think he still feels like he's got unfinished business with a big club after the way things panned out with Inter.

[00:12:26] So who knows? Maybe Gasperini will end up in the city where I currently reside, Naples.

[00:12:33] Anyway, that's me signing off on what was a wonderful night for Atalanta,

[00:12:38] a wonderful season, eight glorious years under Gasperini.

[00:12:41] And as he said, you don't need a trophy to define great work.

[00:12:44] They've got it now so they can also beat away those particular suggestions from the doubters and the naysayers.

[00:12:52] But congratulations to Gasperini, congratulations to Atalanta

[00:12:57] Congratulations to Bergamo, the new capital of Italian football.

[00:13:27] The Posterosi Campi take the glory.

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