It may seem like Atalanta‘s season in the Champions League is an anomaly, a fairy tale, something that can’t and won’t ever last. The Champions League is supposed to weed out the teams that don’t belong. The game’s major stakeholders prefer it that way.
But over the years, Atalanta have proven to be much more than exceptions to the rule. There’s something happening in the city of Bergamo in northern Italy not happening anywhere else. Luck, magic, all the typical cliches we use to define the seemingly inexplicable, don’t apply here. Atalanta deserve more respect than any of those empty platitudes afford.
On Wednesday, the people of Bergamo, Atalanta’s home, will fill San Siro, the club’s adopted stadium while its own ground undergoes construction. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini expects most of the city to be in attendance to watch his side mark another milestone: an appearance in the Champions League knockout stage. And there’s no reason they can’t dream of extending this magnificent run into the quarterfinals. It’s easy to view Atalanta as underdogs, but they’re really one of the best teams in Europe, playing without the usual pressure that eats away at the continent’s biggest clubs.
The football itself is …read more