Percassi: ‘Atalanta are like a family, Gasperini practically a marriage’ after 9 years

Luca Percassi Vice Chairman of Atalanta (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

Atalanta chief Luca Percassi hails the ‘family’ atmosphere ahead of tonight’s Scudetto battle with Inter and comments on the situation between Gian Piero Gasperini and Ademola Lookman.

It kicks off at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s five Serie A games on the Liveblog.

In an extraordinary twist, Napoli were held 0-0 by relegation-threatened Venezia this afternoon, which means if Atalanta win this evening, all three teams will be joint top on 61 points.

It would be the first time in their history that La Dea were top of the table with just nine rounds left in the campaign and the fans had a banner urging their players to ‘believe’ in the title dream.

Atalanta can dream of Scudetto triumph

“The affection of our fans has accompanied us since the dawn of Atalanta. Never had the club been at this position with 10 rounds to go, we are so happy to be here in our completely reconstructed stadium and we want to enjoy it to the full,” Percassi told DAZN.

“My father and I came up through the Atalanta youth academy, we know this club and training ground inside out. It’s wonderful to see just how much people care about Atalanta and it is our responsibility to do our best for a club that we feel belongs with us.”

While Inter were in action on Tuesday for the Champions League, Atalanta are now free to focus entirely on Serie A, showing the difference that made in last week’s 4-0 demolition of Juventus in Turin.

“It will be an extraordinary game of football, we are facing in my view one of the 3-4 best teams in Europe, so it will be a great test for Atalanta. It’s practically like being in the Champions League.”

Gasperini hugged Lookman after the 4-0 victory over Juventus, so have they put their row behind them after the penalty miss in the Champions League?

“We are a family, so at times within a family there are arguments, but like any other family we get over those and unite for the good of everyone. The players really love the project and love Atalanta,” replied Percassi.

Considering he has been at the club since 2016 and changed them from relegation battlers to Europa League winners, can Percassi imagine a future without Gasperini?

“We have been with the coach for nine years, it’s practically a marriage. As we do every year, we will calmly discuss it at the end of the season, trying to do the best for Atalanta and recognising the rapport with the coach for all these years has been exceptional.”