Gasperini: ‘I never said I’d leave Atalanta’

Gian Piero Gasperini hopes that Atalanta’s possible qualification for the Champions League isn’t taken for granted, but insists he never said he’d leave the club at the end of the season.

The Atalanta boss received a USSI Award in Coverciano on Monday, named the best Serie A coach for 2023-24.

His Atalanta side sit third in the Serie A table and could qualify for the Champions League for the second season in a row. A result that should not be taken for granted.

“I hope and wish not. For me, it’s the ultimate achievement for Atalanta, even if we tried to bluff a little about the Scudetto,” he told Sky Sport via TMW.

“It was mainly to give ourselves a push and them because we were in that position with nine games remaining. Still, qualifying for the Champions League would be an extraordinary result.”

Gasperini: ‘I never said I’d leave Atalanta’

Gasperini said in February that he would not extend his Atalanta contract beyond 2026, leaving a door open for a summer exit. Has he changed his mind about his future in Bergamo?

“I never said I was leaving. I said something else, that I wouldn’t extend my contract, which is different,” he insisted.

“Right now, the only goal is to reach the Champions League. It’s not something you achieve in one season, but over the months and years. I have a bond with Bergamo and Atalanta. Sometimes people forget the players we’ve lost due to injuries, but everything is positive; we just need to finish strong.”

Inter and Napoli are now fighting for the Scudetto, but who deserves it more: Simone Inzaghi or Antonio Conte?

“Either one or the other wouldn’t be wrong; they both deserve it,” Gasperini concluded.