Gian Piero Gasperini admits Atalanta ‘ground to a halt’ in the second half of a 4-3 win away to Genoa, but next they want to beat Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final.
They needed a victory to be sure of Champions League football for the third year running and did the job at Marassi.
“It was tough to believe we’d do it three years in a row, especially this season, as it gets more difficult to keep repeating yourself,” Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.
Gian Piero Gasperini admits Atalanta ‘ground to a halt’ in the second half of a 4-3 win away to Genoa, but next they want to beat Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final.
They needed a victory to be sure of Champions League football for the third year running and did the job at Marassi.
“It was tough to believe we’d do it three years in a row, especially this season, as it gets more difficult to keep repeating yourself,” Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.
“The lads had a great reaction from January onwards and managed to secure it with a round to spare, despite having sides like Juventus, Napoli and Milan all close by. All the years have been wonderful, this one was probably even more so.”
Atalanta were 4-1 up at Marassi, yet it ended 4-3 after they started to relax.
“Football is a strange sport. The same team that came on so determined and eager to finish the job today with a wonderful first half, ended up not letting their foot off the gas, but grinding to a halt. We were dominating and Genoa deserve credit for coming back into it, but we really did put in a two-faced performance.
“In a way it’s good, as being unsatisfied with this performance can help us prepare for Wednesday.”
That will be the Coppa Italia Final against Juventus at the Mapei Stadium, the second reached by Gasperini.
“Winning a trophy would be a crowning moment for all we’ve done over the years. People say Atalanta don’t win, but a club like ours in the Champions League for three years in a row is something remarkable. A trophy would be the icing on the cake, but in my view we’re winners regardless.”
Atalanta keep stepping up every season to do better, so if they finish second, will the Scudetto be their next objective?
“It depends on the season. Teams like Inter can win 11 in a row. We increased our points average from the 60s to 70s and now 80s, but you need more to win the Scudetto.
“I think we lost just one of our last 14 games, and that was to Inter, winning 12 of them. What we must aim to do in future is improve the team and the performances.”