Stefano Colantuono calls for an FA Cup-style Coppa Italia revamp as Atalanta visit Fiorentina tomorrow.
The Round of 16 fixture kicks off on Wednesday at 17.00 GMT and the winner goes on to face Roma or Empoli in the quarter-final.
“With the Coppa system as it stands now, it becomes very difficult for a medium-small club to go all the way,” complained the Coach.
Stefano Colantuono calls for an FA Cup-style Coppa Italia revamp as Atalanta visit Fiorentina tomorrow.
The Round of 16 fixture kicks off on Wednesday at 17.00 GMT and the winner goes on to face Roma or Empoli in the quarter-final.
“With the Coppa system as it stands now, it becomes very difficult for a medium-small club to go all the way,” complained the Coach.
“I don’t want to stir up controversy, but to make it more balanced we ought to study different criteria. Even inverting the venues so the smaller club played at home would be a start.”
Unlike the FA Cup, in the Coppa Italia the more prestigious sides play on home turf, which often leads to largely empty stadiums.
It also has to be said that Atalanta are rotating the squad for this tournament, leaving strikers German Denis and Mauricio Pinilla at home.
“This will be an opportunity to see those who haven’t had as much playing time in Serie A and I am sure this Cup won’t be snubbed.
“We want to put in a good performance and we’ll do everything we can to get through to the next round. Of course, we face a very difficult game.”
Atalanta are fresh from a shock 1-0 victory away to Milan in Serie A.
“It was certainly an important win, including for the self-belief it gave us. I still say we need to be consistent in order to make that really count, as there’s a long road ahead.”
Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez will start, but Yohan Benalouane is rested in defence.
Atalanta squad for Fiorentina: Avramov, Frezzolini, Sportiello; Bellini, Biava, Del Grosso, Dramè, Scaloni, Stendardo, Zappacosta; Baselli, Carmona, Cigarini, D'Alessandro, Gomez, Grassi, Migliaccio, Molina, Spinazzola; Bianchi, Boakye, Moralez, Rosseti