Colombia international Duvan Zapata wants to get Atalanta back into Europe, but concedes Sampdoria “did nothing to keep me.”
The Orobici had gone through two preliminary rounds, but lost the play-off to FC Copenhagen on penalties.
“It still hurts, that’s only to be expected, but there’s no point thinking about it now,” Zapata told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Colombia international Duvan Zapata wants to get Atalanta back into Europe, but concedes Sampdoria “did nothing to keep me.”
The Orobici had gone through two preliminary rounds, but lost the play-off to FC Copenhagen on penalties.
“It still hurts, that’s only to be expected, but there’s no point thinking about it now,” Zapata told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We have what it takes to get back into the Europa League via Serie A. The only thing we were missing against Copenhagen was the goal, while I wouldn’t say we were fatigued in the next game with Cagliari, as some of us ran 12km. Quite simply, it was a difficult match and Cagliari deserve credit for their win.”
The 27-year-old was at Sampdoria last season, but moved to Atalanta on loan with option to buy for a total of €26m.
“Atalanta really wanted to sign me and that is fundamental for a striker to feel that confidence. I had a good rapport with the Coach and fans at Samp, but if the club decides not to rely on you, there’s not much you can do. They did nothing to keep me.
“I did receive a few offers from abroad, especially in China, but I never really considered them. Fortunately, Atalanta was the solution that suited everyone.”