May 19, (THEWILL) – Gian Piero Gasperini has insisted his Atalanta side will not be intimidated by the formidable Bayer Leverkusen team they face in the Europa League final on Wednesday. The 66-year-old likened the German champions, who completed an unprecedented unbeaten Bundesliga campaign, to a “tank” but remained defiant about his team’s chances in Dublin.
Despite Leverkusen’s remarkable 51-game unbeaten run across all competitions this season, earning them the moniker “Bayer 04 Neverlusen”, Gasperini believes his Atalanta players can cause an upset. “They dominated the Bundesliga and are like a tank, but we are not afraid of them and will go there to play with courage and in good shape,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
The Italian tactician acknowledged Leverkusen’s historic achievement but remained optimistic about his own team’s prospects. “I think about that, I also think every run has to end sometime. Atalanta can trouble Bayer Leverkusen too,” Gasperini added after his side booked their UEFA Champions League qualification with a routine 2-0 win at Lecce.
Gasperini celebrated Atalanta’s top-four finish in Serie A, describing it as “an extraordinary result” and one that exceeded expectations. However, he refused to rule out departing the club he has managed since 2016, amid links with Napoli.
“We are playing Wednesday, then after that we’ll see. What the difference means to me is the challenge and whether it is credible in the choices and evaluations, that is the most important thing.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
