Gian Piero Gasperini was dejected following Atalanta’s last-gasp draw with Salernitana and he expressed his frustration at the quality of officiating in Italy.
The Bergamo side barely managed to secure a point at home this evening against Davide Nicola’s side, relying on an 88th minute equaliser by Mario Pasalic. It was another disappointing result for Gasperini and his squad, who now seem destined to miss out on Europa League qualification this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia after the draw with Salernitana, Gasperini first reacted to the performance.
“We are a team that is trying to give everything we have, we can’t blame them much for that. For the rest, though, we’re drained of spirit and that’s the thing I’m most sorry about, because we’ve always been strong in that regard.
“We’ve straightened out the game and we’re fighting until the end, but it’s clear that we don’t have the same spirit and intensity. Salernitana have goals, but even the last teams we’ve met have shown more than us.”
He touched on why the team have performed so poorly at home this season.
“Because we are sterile, we play to win but we concede avoidable goals at the first opportunity. We always have to chase, that’s one reason but there are others too.”
The Atalanta coach looked back at some poor officiating moments from this campaign.
“It has been a disaster this year, you have the pictures and you can see it. Then comes the Spezia episode, a fuss comes out but I haven’t spoken about it for months.
“I’m glad the club did it, but what happened is absolutely serious. The episodes are all there, if you want you can see them.”
Gasperini discussed if a new cycle would begin with him at the helm next season.
“In the meantime, it is clear that in this return there was a feeling that time was passing. So many players have left, it is difficult for Atalanta to remain at a high level for so long. In six years we have made €150 million in profits, the other €600 million in debts.
“It’s not easy, it’s a heavy burden. Consequently, staying at these levels, without such a strong media force. What we have suffered is very heavy, perhaps I am from the Middle Ages and there are those who say that thinking about bad faith is medieval.
“We couldn’t play for the Scudetto but we were penalised considerably. A night like tonight depends only on us, but there are also teams that have changed gear in the return leg. Seeing Salernitana or those in mid-table now makes you think, if we started the season now I don’t know if we’d be up there.”
Finally, Gasperini discussed the quality of officiating this season, a hot topic following Francesco Acerbi’s seemingly offside winner against Spezia on Saturday.
“Uniformity is difficult to have in football, but the problem is that so many episodes have been blatant in their interpretation. If it happens on the pitch at normal speed it’s unfortunate, but in front of the TV and you distort the images…
“Everyone has made their own rules to justify absurd choices. If you take away the certainty of the rules, sport does not become credible. You work on the frames and you can say the opposite of everything.
“There are now factions, everyone sides with their own and defences are created, and it is football that suffers. Football is not credible now, when the chips are down we don’t have the same interpretation.”
Gasperini attacca ancora gli arbitri: "Quello che è successo a Spezia è di una gravità assoluta" https://t.co/gwnZbjcQZp
— TUTTOmercatoWEB (@TuttoMercatoWeb) May 2, 2022
Nice, another whiner! Join hands with Mourinho and start crying together to feel better…
When your team runs at 100mph every game and doesn’t have the luxury of rotating, what do you expect? They ran out of steam and lost points. Zeman in disguise!