Gasperini on Atalanta’s Champions League hopes: ‘A treble would be better’ | OneFootball

Gian Piero Gasperini joked that he would like to win the treble with Atalanta after drawing 2-2 away against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and also gave his assessment of his team’s two potential opponents in the play-off round.

Gasperini was full of pride in a moment of reflection after Atalanta’s 2-2 draw away against Barcelona, because even though his side have had to settle for a spot in the play-offs rather than the round of 16, he believes the tournament has been a wonderful experience for his players and fans alike so far.

La Dea came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw in Barcelona. Ederson and Mario Pasalic both hit well-taken goals to cancel out earlier efforts from Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – JANUARY 29: Ronald Araujo of FC Barcelona scores his team’s second goal with a header during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between FC Barcelona and Atalanta BC at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on January 29, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“There is no comparison, we are in the Champions League,” Gasperini told the media during his post-match press conference, reported via TMW.

“We will play against either Sporting or Brugge, it’s not that we aren’t used to it, we played in the Champions League for four years. This type of game helps the team so much, it’s how we interpret it.”

Gasperini: ‘We are Atalanta, we must always be happy in the Champions League’

He continued: “We are Atalanta, we must always be happy to play in the Champions League, to measure ourselves against the best teams in Europe. Now it’s only Bayern of the big teams who we’re missing. For us, it’s all been a great experience, to hear our fans singing in these stadiums.”

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini celebrates after winning the UEFA Europa League final football match between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen at the Dublin Arena stadium, in Dublin, on May 22, 2024. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

There was a brief injury update after Sead Kolasinac and Giorgio Scalvini were withdrawn in the second half. It was a particularly cruel blow for the young Italian, who had to be stretchered off with a potential dislocated shoulder, not long after his return from a cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

“Kolasinac isn’t great, and we’re sorry for Scalvini because he has a shoulder problem, which is a risk. We are so sorry it happened like that, we don’t know if he will have to be operated on in the next few days.”

And on Atalanta’s potential play-off opponents, Gasperini added: “Brugge and Sporting are strong teams, we have faced the Biancoverdi four times already. De Ketelaere has been telling us that the Belgians are coming off twenty consecutive successes. It was impossible to avoid a difficult team before now, let alone after.”

Gasperini was also asked about his Champions League ambitions given that he has just drawn against the second-highest ranked team in the competition. He replied: Winning the Champions League, or rather a treble would be better,” he laughed.