Ajax have a quick chance to make amends for last Thursday's humiliating 2-1 defeat to Hajduk Split in the Conference League league phase. Atalanta visit the Johan Cruijff ArenA this week. What can the Amsterdam side expect from opponents who were dominant in Europe not so long ago? Voetbalzone speaks to journalist Fabio Gennari, who follows Atalanta closely for outlets including Prima Bergamo.
Mention Atalanta and the conversation soon turns to Gian Piero Gasperini. Now the AS Roma coach, the 68-year-old spent 2016 to 2025 in charge in Bergamo, taking a modest club to the top of Serie A and European football. With Marten de Roon among their ranks, Atalanta secured a Champions League place for the first time in their history. Their first European success followed in May 2024, when they beat Bayer Leverkusen 0-3 in the Europa League final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Departure of a club icon
Shortly after that triumph, Gasperini decided to leave Atalanta. The club's management chose Ivan Juric as his successor, but the appointment did not work out. AS Roma and Southampton had previously sacked the Croatian, and Atalanta dismissed him at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia after just a few months. The club had slipped into mid-table in Serie A, while Juric clashed with star player Ademola Lookman during a Champions League match against Olympique Marseille. The pair even had to be pulled apart. Shortly afterwards, the board dismissed Juric.
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Atalanta moved quickly to appoint the relatively young Raffaele Palladino as head coach. The Italian guided La Dea to sixth place in Serie A and a Conference League place. They also reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals, but Bayern München proved far too strong over two legs in the Champions League round of 16 (1-6 and 4-1). Atalanta pressed high and took plenty of risks in the home leg. It cost them dearly, though Palladino did not regret his attacking approach. "If we had to play the match again, I would play exactly the same way. This way of playing has taken us to the Coppa Italia semi-finals and kept us competing well in the league."
There was no second season in Bergamo for Palladino. Last summer, Atalanta opted instead for the seasoned Maurizio Sarri (67), who made his name at clubs including Lazio, Juventus, Chelsea and Napoli. They lost 3-2 away to AC Milan on Sunday, but Gennari says the score does not tell the whole story. "Atalanta are in good form at the moment. Despite the absence of several important players, their last three matches were impressive. Nine goals, a shot against the post and so many chances created that they could easily have scored twelve or thirteen in total. There are still a few things to improve in defence, but they are on the right track. It will take some time, though," the Atalanta correspondent stresses.
PSV past
Some of Atalanta's goals come from Gianluca Scamacca, a familiar name in the Netherlands. The 27-year-old, 1.95-metre-tall forward took his first steps in professional football at PSV years ago. After spells in Serie A and the Premier League, and a short loan at PEC Zwolle, he arrived in Bergamo in 2023 as the intended replacement for Rasmus Højlund, who had been sold to Manchester United. Gennari has been impressed by the former PSV player. "Scamacca recently scored for the Italy national team in the Nations League, then found the net against Pafos in the Conference League, and could have scored many more goals. Although his performances are not always consistent, Scamacca is a very important player who has developed over time and become much more mature. When he is in good form, Scamacca is a decisive player."
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Scamacca scored shortly before half-time last Thursday against Pafos, whom Atalanta eventually beat 3-1 at home. That gave them a strong start in the Conference League, while defeat at San Siro leaves them in mid-table in Serie A for now. Gennari knows the season is still long. "Qualifying for Europe and trying to go as far as possible in the Conference League. Those are the two aims for this season that are uppermost in Atalanta supporters' minds at the moment. For this year, the club's main aim is to ensure the new coaching project gets off to a good start. The results will then follow naturally." Atalanta's management are not looking only at short-term results.
Sarri must bring greater stability to Atalanta on the pitch after a turbulent period. But the veteran of Italian football faces an enormously difficult task in making Bergamo and the surrounding area forget the demanding years under Gasperini. "Life goes on," Gennari sighs when the current situation of Ajax's upcoming opponents comes up. "Gasperini chose to leave, despite being offered a
For now, Atalanta's sole focus is Thursday's match in the Netherlands. Ajax and Atalanta have met in Europe only in the 2020/21 season. The Amsterdam side took a point in Bergamo (2-2) after racing into a 0-2 first-half lead, then lost 0-1 at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Six years later, they have a chance to take revenge. "Atalanta do not fear Ajax, but they do respect them. That respect is always there. In the Conference League, there
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Ajax are no bogey team
Ajax's 2-5 victory over FC Groningen on Sunday was good preparation for Atalanta's visit to Amsterdam. Sarri's side, by contrast, lost to AC Milan despite scoring twice in the final half-hour. Gennari refuses to read too much into the five goals scored by Míchel Sánchez's side in the far north. "Ajax are still a big name here. But given the current situation, this does not seem to be the best period in the club's history," says the club correspondent, who sees opportunities for Atalanta when they kick off their second Conference League match on Thursday at 21:00.