Will the coach leave Atalanta after winning the Europa League? Gasperini speaks out about tempting offer.

A historic success followed by a grand farewell? It’s not impossible. Atalanta reached the Europa League trophy on Wednesday, but long-time coach Gian Piero Gasperini could leave after the season. He has a tempting offer on the table, which he has interestingly talked about.

Italian football is celebrating, especially Atalanta. The team from Bergamo won the Europa League on Wednesday night and claimed their first ever international trophy. The biggest milestone in the club’s history so far was winning the Italian Cup in the 1962/63 season.

Otherwise, the Italian club has only won lower league competitions. Five times it has dominated the second league, once the third. But apart from that, the first major success was celebrated by the long-respected coach Gian Piero Gasperini. For the 66-year-old coach, it is the first trophy of his coaching career.

It should be mentioned that Gasperini is a concept in Italian football. When he came to Bergamo, it was a team that was fighting to stay among the elite or belonged clearly to the second half of the Serie A table.

However, once his era kicked off in 2016, things started to happen. Atalanta started to compete with the more famous and wealthy big clubs, started to play for European cups and finished at worst eighth. They finished in the top four four four times, three of them in third place.

Apart from that, Gasperini has set his charges a very attractive football. He knows how to work in a systemic way, he works well with his charges even with limited resources. No wonder he is now in demand elsewhere.

Will Gasperini leave Atalanta?

Gian Piero Gasperini has been at Atalanta for eight years, his contract still runs until June 2025, but could he have said goodbye with a better send-off than European success? What will happen to his person next is not certain. The club’s management believes that the Italian strategist will continue to stay in Bergamo.

But the coach himself is not so sure. Napoli are very interested in him, which would be a huge challenge for him. “Tonight we are celebrating, tomorrow I will talk to the president. We’ll see how it goes,” he let Sky Sport Italia hear from him right after Wednesday’s final.

“I’m in a special situation. It’s comparable to when you’re married, you have children, but you meet an absolutely beautiful woman. But maybe that’s not a good example to tell on TV,” the 66-year-old coach quipped.

Napoli have made no secret of their interest in the Atalanta manager. Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is considering a complete rebuilding of the club and Gasperini would figure in it with new sporting director Giovanni Mana.

It is worth mentioning that Gasperini himself has stated that he is not interested in money, but in the challenge. Naples is therefore not without a chance to win him.

Source: Sky Sport Italia, Transfermarkt