Gian Piero Gasperini notes Atalanta have not been awarded a penalty kick for nearly a year as ‘probably we are not good at diving’ and sees a tendency from other teams to ‘trick the referees’.
La Dea visit Milan in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Wednesday, days after a 1-1 draw against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
“We have already achieved a lot through these years, but of course, if we speak of Coppa Italia, it’s the most achievable trophy for us given that we have already reached the Final twice,” Gasperini said at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“In any case, we are happy with what we are doing, and tomorrow, we can play on par.
“We cannot win the Scudetto, but we will fight on all fronts. Putting our hands on the Europa League will be tough, but we won’t hold back. The target is to qualify for the Champions League, but we have more objectives. I am pleased with what we are doing. We put in a high-level performance against Roma and we can further improve.
“It will be a tough game tomorrow because the Roma match was demanding. Milan comfortably sit third in the table and they are strong at home.”
Senad Kolasinac and Charles De Ketelaere are not fully fit and Gasperini will decide on Wednesday morning whether they’ll be part of the Atalanta squad.
“If they are called up, it means they can play. Hien is fit and needs more playing time, but he already did well in Rome,” said the Italian tactician.
Roma star Paulo Dybala converted a spot kick to equalise against Atalanta on Sunday and Gasperini noted his side have not been given a penalty kick since their 8-2 win over Salernitana on January 15, 2023.
“We are the only Serie A team that hasn’t been awarded a penalty kick this season, the last one was in January 2023, so it’s nearly a year,” he said.
“I don’t think there were obvious incidents, but if you look for them, you can find something. We are probably not good enough at diving in the box and highlighting some situations that can turn into penalty kicks. However, I’ve noticed a tendency to trick the referees, hoping that any incident and push can lead to a penalty.”