Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi admits Liverpool are the ‘best’ Europa League team this season but is happy Atalanta fans will have a ‘second chance’ to see La Dea face the Reds.
Atalanta and Liverpool will meet in the Europa League quarter-final. The first leg will be played at Anfield on April 11, and the decider will be in Bergamo on April 18.
“We were not lucky, but we’ll have the pleasure of meeting the best. Bergamo and the club will be extraordinarily proud to host Liverpool, one of the best clubs in the world. We have great respect for them and are proud to host them,” Atalanta CEO Percassi told Sky Sport Italia minutes after the draw.
Atalanta and Liverpool already met in the 2020-21 campaign in the Champions League group phase. However, it was in the middle of the COVID pandemic, so games were played behind closed doors. The Reds won 5-0 in Bergamo, but Atalanta won 2-0 away, qualifying for the Round of 16.
“We were disappointed our fans could not see some big champions on the pitch. Therefore, it’s a second chance, and hopefully, fans will be spectacular like last night,” noted Percassi.
Atalanta will be involved in three competitions until April as they have also qualified for the Coppa Italia semis and remain in the race for the top four in Serie A.
“It’s the first time in history, and it means we are doing something extraordinary,” admitted Percassi.
“To see all this passion for Atalanta gives us great responsibility and pride.
“Liverpool play exciting football. They’ve done extraordinary things with Klopp. They won everything, they can win even more this season,” he continued.
“When you face these clubs, you understand how much you can learn. Clearly, having the chance to play against them will be a chance to see how these big clubs work. They have talented players on the pitch, but this is up to the coach because he’s excellent at it. It will be a great experience.
“Bergamo is a famous city for its ability to build. Like all things, we’ve been building one step at a time, with many people who are the club’s real value.
“We have the utmost respect for Liverpool, but this is something extraordinary. We Atalanta fans have always dreamed of playing these matches in stadiums like Anfield; we must live it like another extraordinary night because the competition is getting tougher and tougher.”
Atalanta won their Europa League group and qualified for the quarter-finals thanks to a 3-2 win on aggregate over Sporting CP.