Champions League: Why you should root for Atalanta
Atalanta is a small club that has maximized its resources to the fullest potential.
Bergamo, Italy, is a small city in far northern Italy with a population of 122,000 that sits just 25 miles from Milan. The city’s inhabitants are noted to be pragmatic, hard-working, and direct.
Bergamaschi often claim that they built the posh and, in their minds, the overly philosophical Milan. This claim is rooted in fact as many testimonials and stories elude to the hands-on work ethic of the city’s populace.
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Atalanta is the club that represents this city with unabashed pride. They are nowhere as big as its three near-by rivals: Milan, Inter, and Juventus. Per Transfermarkt, La Dea or The Goddess has a combined player market value of $293.15 million.
Their market value is seventh highest in Serie A. Juventus, the biggest club in the country has a market value of $682.8 million.
They play in the Gewiss Stadium, capacity 21,300, which is too small per UEFA guidelines to host European competitions.
Atalanta has only one major domestic cup in their trophy case. They won the Coppa Italia in 1963.
Despite their size, under their coach Gian Piero Gasperini, La Dea has finished in the top four in Serie A in three of the last four seasons.
With their third-place finish this season, they have qualified for European cup competitions for four consecutive seasons, including two Champions Leagues.
In this campaign’s Champions League, the Gli Orobici were dismantled in their first three group stage matches, giving up 11 goals and earning only two themselves.
Miraculously, they turned everything around by winning their last two and drawing against Manchester City to advance to the knock-out round.
In the first knock-out round, Atalanta steam-rolled La Liga side Valencia, 8-4 on aggregate, putting them in the final eight drawing French super-club Paris Saint-Germain.
The 62-year old Gasperini has been a smashing success for the club by bringing in a fast-paced, fluid, and hard-working offensive attack that runs counter to the pragmatic Catenaccio style of play made famous in Italy decades earlier.
Without the known and expensive names on bigger clubs, Atalanta has boasted the highest goal tally in Serie A in the last two seasons with 77 last season and a near-record 98 (with one match remaining) this season.
They are, by far, the most entertaining team to watch in Europe, which is another reason why neutrals should cheer for them in the Champions League re-start.