Stefano Colantuono (58 years old) is the technician with more matches on the history of Atalanta: 261. The Bergamo team lived during two stages: the first among 2005 and 2007, the second of 2010 to 2015. With the Dea won two Serie B championships, laid the foundations for its continuity in Serie A and the project exploded later with Gasperini. In his talk with AS, he tells of his journey nerazzurri and the dangers that await him at Real Madrid …
You have experienced the Atalanta explosion in the front row.
Yes. The return of the Percassi in 2010 totally changed the club. They took a team that had just been relegated and wanted me back, since I was there between 2005 and 2007. We won Serie B in a big way, and in the next two seasons we achieved salvation despite starting with six and two points as punishment. They were not easy years, but they served to finally have continuity in Serie A, something that the club hardly had.
And after a stage with Reja, in 2016 Gasperini appeared.
Yes, his arrival changed everything. He did a huge job at the tactical level, and then having sold many talents well, and reinforced the project. That allowed him to grow. During my time there were also important sales, like the one from Bonaventura to Milan, but there were no figures for the current market. The mix between the intelligence of the Percassi and the ideas of Gasp made the team we see now possible.
The quarry is the heart of the project Nerazzurri …
Of course. Continuing to invest in the quarry has been the club's greatest virtue, but in recent years they have also strengthened their scouts. They found a huge pool of talents.
How important has the Gasperini coach been in the history of the entity?
He revolutionized the way he played. Before him, thinking about reaching Europe was impossible. In 2008, for example, Atalanta was eighth with me and could play the Intertoto Cup, but the club preferred not to do so in order to prioritize Serie A and salvation. With Gasp They are not only aiming at Europe, but also at winning the Italian Cup. They are already a team top of Calcium.
Can they eliminate Madrid?
The only certainty I have, knowing the team and its environment well, is that if Madrid wants to qualify, they must play at their highest level, get out their best version. If you don't, Atalanta will eliminate you. If you catch the Dea plugged in and you don't give it your all, you suffer a lot. Look what he did in the Champions League in these two years.
Who will be the key man for Bergamo?
It would be easy to say Ilicic, Zapata or Muriel. However, I always repeat that the secret of this Atalanta is its game system, in which the wings make the difference. The greatest dangers, for whites, will come from the bands. They will have to be very careful there.
Was what happened to Papu Gómez expected?
No, I knew he had a solid relationship with Gasperini. I know that these things happen in football, but I think they both lost. The team lost a great talent and the player lost a team and a coach who totally changed their way of playing.
Where can this Atalanta go in the season?
It can do anything. For the Scudetto, perhaps, it is far, but they already have the Cup final, which is very exciting, and I am sure that they will risk their lives in the Champions League. Real Madrid are going to suffer … and I think they know it.