Atalanta, coached by Gian Piero Gasperini, are currently in Serie A and have won UEFA Champions League this season. Before this season, Italy’s club had never taken part in Europe’s premier tournament. It really was one of the most important matches in the club’s history that it won by an aggregate score of 8-4 against La Liga’s Valencia in the Round of 16.
As a result of the team’s 70 league goals this season, Gasperini’s side are right up there with the best sides in world football right now. It is a sight to behold how they attack in numbers, and their place among the elite of Europe is well deserved.
Gasperini created a style of football that is so aesthetically pleasing that it is easiest to understand how this current Atalanta side has reached this point of their journey.
In spite of the absence of household superstars such as Juventus and Inter, they have averaged 2.8 goals per match and had 55.7% of the ball in this season’s league.
Gasperini has developed an innovative tactical system known as the 3-4-2-1. A paper representation of Atalanta’s formation overlooks the club’s tactical fluidity.
At full-back, Timothy Castagne and Robin Gosens offer width, and Marten de Roon and Mario Pasalic provide stability in midfield and the forward line. The most often Josip Ili*i* is allowed creative freedom to bombard the opposition’s goal, supported by Papu Gómez and Ruslan Malinovskiy.
However, the most interesting thing about Gasperini’s side is the vast difference in their personal development. Their squad consists largely of relatively unknown players who have had little success in Europe’s top leagues.
It is no secret that Ili*i* is one of the most prolific forwards in Serie A, scoring 15 goals in 19 appearances this season, but he stands out because he is 32 years old. Additionally, Gómez is 32 years old, but he has still managed to accumulate 10 assists in the league.
This current Atalanta team will probably not last long given that two of its most influential players are entering their twilight years.
Departures And Arrivals
Gasperini’s arrivals and departures in the future, therefore, are crucial to ensuring that this type of organization is maintained. Gasperini’s Champions League wildcards, based on previous transfers, may also shock in the future.
Atalanta have a shrewd recruitment team headed by Director of Football Gabriele Zamagna which favors buying exactly what they need. Zamagna has played for smaller clubs in Italy, including Rimini, Parma, and a few others.
In 2010, Under Zamagna’s management, Atalanta was promoted to Serie A by the club’s Director of Football. The club has since benefited from his efforts in the recruitment arena, which has led to a clear identity emerging within it.
Window Transfers Set A New Record
It is impressive that Atalanta, a relatively small team in the top tier of Italian football, have broken their transfer record time and time again over the last few years. Middlesbrough midfielder Marten de Roon’s record transfer fee of € 14.32 million in 2017 looked like a lot of money, but in 2018, de Roon has become an integral part of the team’s midfield.
In the ensuing years, the club has also signed Malinovskiy, Duván Zapata, and Luis Muriel, all of whom have proven to be successful purchases to varying degrees. Since the start of the season, all three players have played a significant role, even though not all were starters due to the form of Ili*i* and Gómez.
The two players with the highest numbers per 90 minutes are Zapata and Muriel. The fact that they cost less than €16 million each indicates that they’ve been shrewd purchases.