Gian Piero Gasperini isn’t just the icon who placed Atalanta among the elite.
He’s the feisty boss who has stood accused of being a dictator, bit back at Pep Guardiola, influenced new England boss Thomas Tuchel, amusingly told Cristiano Ronaldo to go to Hell and smacked mouthy AC Milan fans with his half-munched sandwich.
Opposite Brendan Rodgers in Bergamo is a manager who, at 66, has quality and charisma rolled into one. Gasperini is, of course, first and foremost a brilliant coach.
He only won his first trophy at the end of last season when ripping up Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten run and securing the Europa League. But Serie A coach of the year in 2019 and 2020, he’s been an influence on many things over eight turning Atalanta from regular relegation scrappers into a big gun.
The coaching to revamp the style, the recruitment, even a big voice in pushing for recently-completed stadium renovations at the Gewiss Stadium to ramp up the volume. Guardiola once described facing Atalanta as “like going to the dentist” after Manchester City drew with Gasperini’s men five years ago.
But the coach was onto that comment after lifting the silverware in Dublin when he said: “I think we’ve gone beyond that because Atalanta don’t just try to do damage limitation, we aim to create something beautiful, regardless of who we are up against. Success is not just lifting that trophy. I always fought against this mentality. Football cannot just be that.”
In transforming Atalanta’s status and style, he’s influenced elite managers. Gasperini once explained: “In the 1990s, when I went to watch Dutch football, they were one of the few who played with three at the back.
“I also had inspiration in the 1982 World Cup, the principle was that when an important player had his back to the goal, he would struggle. That was true of Maradona and Zico.
“My adaptation was that instead of running laterally, I preferred to run forward. People described my style as one-on-one all over the field, but I already did that at Crotone, at the Juventus youth team, certainly at Genoa. By going into Europe with Atalanta, I had more visibility and received a lot of compliments from my colleagues. I started to see high-profile teams playing with three at the back, for example PSG after facing us, as Thomas Tuchel gave me so much praise.
“It’s perhaps one of the most prestigious compliments I’ve received. Tuchel won the Champions League, eliminating some big favourites. It was always said 10-12 years ago that you couldn’t win with a three-man defence, but Real Madrid have. “Also the high press, the ability to score goals with lots of players from all angles.
“I got criticised too because sometimes we are too open and leave gaps, but it’s worth the risk. It is a bit odd to see teams imitate us. It’s a great honour.”
Rodgers would appreciate the final part after some of the criticism he received post-Dortmund, but Gasperini’s methods don’t please everyone.
After leaving Atalanta, Matt O’Riley’s Denmark colleague Joakim Maehle likened the spell to being in the army with the coach who bases his authority on fear.
He said: “There really wasn’t any freedom. Even if we lived in nice places and the weather was fair, we didn’t have time to enjoy it. We spent so many days and hours at the sports centre.”
When it was put to Maehle that Gasperini was a dictator, he clarified: “Gasperini’s almost dictatorial approach? You said that right. That was how he decided everything.
“If, for example, we had a double training session in two successive days, we had to sleep in the facility for the night. We weren’t allowed to go home. Was it fear-based management? Yes, a bit. You can call it bad management, or whatever it is. I don’t know.
“You don’t feel like a person, you feel like a number. You have no relationship with the coach. It can torment someone for strange things.
“For example, [Rasmus] Hojlund and I used to go to train together. But Gasperini didn’t want us to drive together because then we could sit, chat and have fun. He didn’t want that, so he reprimanded me, even though the club had told me that I could bring Rasmus to training because they didn’t have a driver for him. These are just some things that, in the long run, make you angry and tired.”
Maehle’s comments were backed by another former Atalanta player, defender Merih Demiral, who tweeted a simple “Everything is true” after the interview hit the public domain. Gasperini doesn’t see it that way, though. He said: “I know that some say I rule with an iron fist, but I always thought you get the best results when convincing a player.
“When you manage to convince him, the player will follow you. Otherwise, he might play without the same attitude and determination.’
Maehle and Demiral express one view, yet others see him as an inspiration. Ademola Lookman, whom Rodgers coached at Leicester and will face Celtic, hit the hat-trick against Bayer in the Europa Final.
Asked about Gasperini’s qualities, he said: “His intensity. From the conversations you have with him, you understand what he expects.
“The first conversations I had with him made me look at football a lot differently. It made things simple. It allowed me to play in a different light. I’m very grateful to him.”
Gasperini has a light-hearted side. After Ronaldo scored twice to bag Manchester United a 2-2 draw with Atalanta, the coach approached the Portuguese on the park at full-time.
He revealed: “He’s incredible. Some call him a problem. That’s a nice problem to have. I told him: You know what we say in Italy? Go to hell.”
Gasperini meant the same thing to AC Milan fans, but not in jest as they chanted he had “never won sh*t” as he left a game in his car. The coach got the window down and fired a half-eaten sandwich at the mob, an act that was amusingly caught on camera.
Colourful, yes. But also classy as a coach. Liverpool fans applauded his team off the pitch after they hammered Rodgers’ former team 3-0 at Anfield last season. Gasperini’s proud of what he’s doing said: “There is great passion for the team in this city and I have a strong sense of belonging.”