‘I never do percentages’ – Atalanta head coach Palladino disagrees with Kovac ahead of Dortmund Champions League tie – Football Italia

BERGAMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Raffaele Palladino , Head Coach of Atalanta BC during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and US Cremonese at Gewiss Stadium on February 09, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Raffaele Palladino has given his pre-match thoughts ahead of Atalanta’s Champions League play-off tie against Borussia Dortmund, has commented on the absences of Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori and says that he disagrees with BVB coach Niko Kovac, who claims that both sides have a 50/50 chance of qualifying for the round of 16. 

Atalanta finished the league phase in 15th place on 13 points, three points shy of a spot in the top eight and a guaranteed spot in the Champions League round of 16. 

That set up a tie against Dortmund, who finished two points and two positions behind Atalanta in the Champions League league phase table. 

Atalanta will take on Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday evening before hosting the return leg in Bergamo next week (Wednesday, February 25). 

Palladino previews Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta 

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia before the Dortmund play-off tie gets underway, Palladino discussed the atmosphere that awaits them at the 81,000-capacity Signal Iduna Park. 

“The fans are the most beautiful part of football, even when you’re playing against a strong atmosphere, it’s always a spectacle and that’s good for football,” he said. “We will play in such a beautiful, prestigious and intense stadium. 

“The Champions League gives us an extra bit of motivation as well. We’ve recovered physically and mentally, we hope to put in a great performance. We’ll face a great team.” 

La Dea will be without two of their key attackers in De Ketelaere and Raspadori on Tuesday night. 

“We’re sorry for them, Charles and Jack are very important to us. They’re strong players and give us an element of unpredictability and quality, but injuries and unforeseen events are unfortunately part of football,” Palladino said. 

“We’re a big family, a big group and whoever replaces them will do it in the best possible way. We’ve reached a stage of awareness that whoever plays will do it well.” 

And reflecting on the journey that has led Atalanta into the Champions League knock-out stages, Palladino said: “We have a lot of enthusiasm, there’s a lot of desire to continue growing and getting results, which have been positive. 

“We know that the level is very high in the Champions League. Dortmund have great individuals and are very well coached. We want to try to put them in difficulty, we know we can do it in 180 minutes.” 

Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac claimed that both sides have an equal 50% chance of qualifying for the round of 16. 

Asked if he agrees, Palladino said: “You have to play the game first, I never do the percentages first. I try to bring a sense of light-heartedness and self-confidence. I want maturity and a team that understands how to react to certain moments in the game.” 

Palladino is well familiar with Kovac’s brother, with whom he played at Juuvents. 

“I know Robert, I’ll give him a big hug tomorrow. We shared the dressing room that year in Serie B.”