Davide Zappacosta is surprised by Gian Piero Gasperini’s mentality and believes Thomas Tuchel is right when he says Atalanta are ‘bizarre and crazy.’
The Chelsea tactician had praised Atalanta in an interview with Il Corriere della Sera earlier this week.
“When we analyzed the team, we fell in love with it. They are bizarre and crazy,” he said.
“We went back and forth in the recording, fast forward and rewind, to look and understand what they were doing.”
Tuchel faced Atalanta in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2020 when he was in charge of PSG.
“It’s a nice compliment. Atalanta are intriguing because the team refuses the idea of not playing well and always maintains its identity, also against the bigger clubs,” Zappacosta said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We are crazy because we never rest, with Atalanta a game is never closed, in a good or a bad way.”
In the summer, the Italian right wing-back returned to Bergamo from Chelsea, completing a permanent €10m move.
Fiorentina had been in talks to secure his services, but Zappacosta opted to return to his former club.
“[Atalanta director] Luca Percassi always reassured me: they wanted me as much as I wanted to come back,” Zappacosta said.
“And at the end of last season, I told Alessandro Lucci, my agent, that Atalanta were at the top of my list”.
Zappacosta had never worked with Gian Piero Gasperini before and has been impressed by the Italian tactician.
“I was particularly impressed by his mentality. He always thinks about the future. He looks beyond, he is never satisfied. If we play a good game, he asks us to forget about it.”
Zappacosta, 29, has scored one goal in eight appearances across all competitions so far this season.
He spent the last season on loan at Genoa. His contract at the Gewiss Stadium expires in June 2025.
The Italian wing-back spent two seasons at Chelsea, scoring two goals in 52 appearances with the Blues.
Sprint Zappacosta: "Atalanta un po' folle ma affascinante. Ha ragione Tuchel. E io qui mi rilancio" #Atalanta https://t.co/r16hVLg5wc
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) October 13, 2021
There’s not a true Serie A fan worth their salt – Brescia fans maybe being an exception – that can criticise Atalanta‘s club structure, management or players. Part of me wonders what would’ve happened if they kept players instead of selling them at the first offer, but that’s part of what keeps them sustainable I guess.
I for one really enjoy watching Atalanta and really admire their style of play! They have been a really refreshing addition to the upper echelons of Serie A in recent years and I hope they continue to challenge there! (Thats from a Milan fan.)