Gasperini: ‘Atalanta not diminished by 2-0 defeat, but referee did ruin Inter game’

BERGAMO, ITALY – MARCH 16: Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of Atalanta, looks on prior to the Serie A match between Atalanta and FC Internazionale at Gewiss Stadium on March 16, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Gian Piero Gasperini insists Atalanta are ‘not diminished’ by a 2-0 defeat to Inter, calling them ‘one of the best sides in Europe,’ but accuses the referee of ‘ruining’ the game with that Ederson red card.

La Dea were starting to genuinely believe in their Scudetto ambitions, knowing that a victory here would put them joint top with Inter and Napoli on 61 points.

However, they were undone by a Carlos Augusto free header on Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner, which happened after a six-minute pause in play for a medical emergency in the stands, and Lautaro Martinez bending back Marco Carnesecchi’s gloves.

Before that, with the score still at 1-0, Ederson received a yellow card for dissent, followed immediately by another when he sarcastically applauded the referee.

ATALANTA DOWN TO 10 MEN

Ederson is sent off for the home side as their night goes from bad to worse

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The incident infuriated Gasperini, who himself saw red from the touchline a few minutes later, while Alessandro Bastoni received two bookings for Inter in added time.

“The red card ruined the end of the game, which is a shame for not just my team, but for the opponents and any people watching,” Gasperini told DAZN.

“There really was no need to go there, it was unnecessary and the game was still open with basically 20 minutes left that could’ve been just as fascinating.

“The referee was over the top with Ederson, because there were other yellow card incidents earlier such as Bellanova, while Ederson is a player who was wrong to applause sarcastically, but the referee really ruined this match.

“There are far worse incidents or words than an applause, some referees ignore it and pretend not to see it. The game was ruined after that in a wonderful atmosphere, it was a pity to see a match between first and third ruined over that. It penalised everyone, both teams and all fans of football.”

Gasperini gives credit to Inter

The opening goal was a strange situation, because play had been stopped for over six minutes for a medical emergency in the stands, so were Atalanta caught by surprise on that corner?

“We did really well in the first half on set plays, but there was a fan who was unwell, so the game was suspended for both teams. It certainly cannot be an alibi,” added Gasperini.

“It wasn’t fortunate for us, I hope the fan is alright, but we should’ve been more concentrated. When games are this balanced, moments can make the difference. We had a similar issue in the Supercoppa Italiana against Inter, evidently they are better than us in these situations and they can change the balance of the match.

“Having said that, we had so much more time to play and it was absurd to see it ruined by that red card.”

With nine rounds left to play, Atalanta find themselves in third place, six points off leaders Inter, but still five clear of Bologna in fourth.

“Now we have the break for international duty, we must find the strength to play these final nine games at our best,” concluded Gasperini.

“We do not emerge from this match in any way diminished, because we were up against one of the best sides in Europe and the world. We played with courage, tried to fight for only one result, they hit the upright with Thuram, while we created chances too and put in blocks for their efforts.

“Atalanta should be very proud of this performance.”

Atalanta have a very definite problem with Inter, having lost each of their last eight meetings in all competition, not beating the Nerazzurri since 2018.

Another issue is their home record, now without a win in six Serie A matches at the Gewiss Stadium, including disappointing draws against Venezia, Cagliari and Torino.