Gian Piero Gasperini Confirms Atalanta Exit Ahead Of Expected Roma Appointment

‎Gian Piero Gasperini announced on Saturday that he will be leaving Atalanta after nine successful years.

‎During his tenure, he transformed the club from a provincial team into one of Italy’s top sides.

‎His achievements include leading Atalanta to win the Europa League last year, and he is expected to move to rivals Roma.

‎”In the last few hours, I have decided to put an end to a wonderful nine-year-long story… I’m ending my experience in Bergamo as head coach of Atalanta,” Gasperini said in an open letter written to newspaper L’Eco di Bergamo.

‎”I decided to end my relationship with the club, and no responsibility should be put upon the club or its directors. I’ve simply come to understand that the time has come to take this step.”

‎Atalanta finished third in Serie A this past season and secured Champions League qualification with two matches remaining, despite narrowly missing out on their first league title.

‎Gasperini is set to join Roma on a three-year contract, earning a net salary of five million euros (£4.2m) per season.

‎Roma is aiming to re-establish themselves among the top four in Serie A with this significant signing.

‎Roma last qualified for the Champions League in 2017 and narrowly missed out on a spot in Europe’s top competition after a late push under Claudio Ranieri.

‎Ranieri, who returned from retirement in November, helped the club avoid relegation and finish fifth in Serie A. This secured Roma a place in the Europa League for the current season.

‎Roma, one of Italy’s biggest clubs with a large and passionate support, has only won Serie A three times, the last coming way back in 2001.

‎They have been overtaken by fierce rivals Napoli, whose recent Scudetto triumph took their tally to four and two in the past three seasons.

‎Gasperini’s Character and Style

‎Gasperini is known for his fiery personality and occasional outbursts at journalists, and he will face a demanding, passionate fanbase along with a challenging media environment in Rome.

‎The city boasts numerous radio stations, websites, and a daily newspaper solely dedicated to Roma, which have often led to conflicts with former coaches. This intense media and fan pressure can mount significantly if the team’s results do not meet expectations.

‎Gasperini has chosen Roma over Juventus who tried to convince him to move to Turin after failing to snatch club icon Antonio Conte from Napoli.

‎Juventus is now in a difficult position, as current coach Igor Tudor was hired only as a short-term solution until the end of the season after replacing sacked Thiago Motta in March.