Atalanta, Symbol of Victory for the "Underdog" Team

Atalanta shows that football fairy tales can happen in a sport dominated by clubs with deep pockets.

AFP/OLI SCARFF

Atalanta players, along with Coach Gian Piero Gasperini (center), lifted the Europa League trophy after defeating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in Dublin, early Thursday morning WIB.

Ademola Lookman became a hero by scoring a hat trick to bring Atalanta to their biggest achievement in history, winning Atalanta a href="URL_PLACEHOLDER">Europa League. Atalanta surprisingly beat favorite team Bayer Leverkusen, 3-0, in the final match in Dublin, Thursday (23/5/2024) early morning WIB.

Leverkusen came to the Irish capital as Bundesliga champions unbeaten in 51 games and chasing a treble. On the other hand, Atalanta went into the final with underdog status, unseeded against the team coached by a young coach who was on the rise, Xabi Alonso.

Gian Piero Gasperini has also never won a title in his entire coaching career. Plus, Atalanta has never lifted a title for six decades. They also just lost 0-1 in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus, 15 May 2024. The chance of winning the final against Leverkusen is practically zero.

However, it was Atalanta's revival under Gasperini's tutelage that finally bore fruit. They are champions with the status of underdog.

Also read: Atalanta's hard slap for Xabi Alonso

The same status they also brought when facing other elite European clubs, Liverpool, in the quarterfinals. Many believed Liverpool would easily advance to the next round. However, unexpectedly, they managed to eliminate the club that had won the Champions League six times.

Lookman is also not a player who is expected to score a historic hat-trick, the first in a European final since 1975. The Nigerian is a prime example of smart recruitment and ability. Gasperini's extraordinary coaching allowed Atalanta to emerge from the shadow of neighboring giants, AC Milan and Inter Milan. Atalanta's headquarters, Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, is only about 60 kilometers from the San Siro Stadium, Milan.

AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS

Atalanta striker Ademola Lookman celebrated his goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final in Dublin, early morning on Thursday (23/5/2024). Atalanta won 3-0.

Lookman, born in England and a product of the Charlton Athletic academy, is an example of Gasperini's keen eye in spotting a player's talent. After graduating from the Charlton academy, Lookman moved to Everton before eventually playing in Germany for RB Leipzig.

However, in two occasions of playing for those clubs, the 26-year-old player was not able to showcase his highest abilities, so he was then loaned back to England with Fulham and Leicester. Lookman can move to Atalanta due to the influence of former Atalanta Head of Sport, Lee Congerton, who previously worked for Leicester.

Winning it with Atalanta is a football fairy tale that rarely makes room for meritocracy.

Now, Lookman will be remembered by residents in Northern Italy as a hero in the most beautiful victory in Atalanta's 116-year club history. "No one imagined he could make this much progress. He did something that will go down in history. He made himself an exceptional player and winner," said Gasperini.

Also read: Leverkusen and Atalanta Carve Monumental History in Dublin

Hat trick Lookman took his goal tally with the Italian club to 30 in two seasons. He also helped Nigeria advance to the African Cup of Nations final this year and believes his career will be even more successful at the age of 26. "I always believe in my abilities. "In a few years, I was able to develop my game to a higher level consistently," said Lookman.

Lookman is not the only diamond that Gasperini has successfully polished to transform Atalanta into a major force in Serie A and Europe. He has produced three fearsome attackers this season, two of whom are Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca, who also had a difficult time in their previous clubs, AC Milan and West Ham.

"The first conversation I had with him made me see football in a different way. He made it simpler and made me look at the game from a different perspective," said Lookman about Gasperini.

AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini during the Europa League final match against Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, early morning on Thursday (23/5/2024) West Indonesia Time.

Gasperini reiterated his feeling that a trophy is not needed to prove his success in lifting Atalanta over the past eight years. "I don't believe one trophy will change our journey. The path we have taken is more valuable than just a trophy," said the 66-year-old coach. "The game we played tonight is the result of that journey."

Also read: Behind Leverkusen's record of 49 unbeaten matches

However, Gasperini admitted that Atalanta's first major trophy in 61 years was a very rare victory for an underdog in a sport that is usually dominated by clubs with the deepest pockets. ”Winning it with Atalanta is a football fairy tale that rarely makes room for meritocracy,” said Gasperini.

Gasperini, along with Atalanta, proved that in football anything can still happen. "Not everything is always based on numbers. A team without a big budget can also achieve great things," he said. (AFP)