Gian Piero Gasperini believes that Atalanta’s victories against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen prove that they are the rightful champions of the Europa League.

Gian Piero Gasperini, the manager of Atalanta, heaped praise on his team after their remarkable victory in the UEFA Europa League. The Italian side, who had already defeated Liverpool and Sporting Lisbon in the knockout stages, continued their impressive run by defeating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in Dublin.

The hero of the night was Ademola Lookman, the former Everton and Charlton winger, who secured the victory for Atalanta with a superb hat-trick. This triumph marks the end of Atalanta’s 61-year wait for a major trophy, while Gasperini himself has won his first trophy in his 21-year managerial career.

Speaking to Sky Sport, Gasperini expressed his delight, stating, “It’s an amazing feeling. The boys were incredible, and the performance they displayed this evening was wonderful. You can’t just defend in matches like this. We knew about this type of team; they’re really good going forward but not so good if you force them to defend. It went well right from the beginning.”

He continued, “More than anything else, it’s also about how we did it. We absolutely deserved to win. We’re so happy because winning the Europa League is a huge achievement for us.”

This victory also marks the first time that Atalanta has defeated Bayer Leverkusen this season, ending the German team’s 51-game unbeaten run. Additionally, Atalanta has secured a spot in the UEFA Champions League for the 2024/25 season. This will be the fourth time the club has participated in European football’s premier competition, with all qualifications achieved under Gasperini’s leadership since 2016.

Gasperini emphasized the significance of the win, stating, “I think we are in history, but the way we won was extraordinary. We repeated the performances of Liverpool and Lisbon. Sporting won their league, Liverpool were top of the Premier League when we went there, Bayer Leverkusen absolutely dominated the Bundesliga.”

Atalanta executed their game plan perfectly in Dublin, conceding possession to Bayer Leverkusen, who enjoyed 67% of the ball. However, Atalanta proved to be much more clinical, scoring three goals from 10 shots, while their opponents had the same number of attempts but failed to find the back of the net.

Gasperini concluded, “We often play with the trident, and there were all the conditions to do it. We had to play for the win in a final. Everyone was extraordinary. The way we did it was the most important thing. We deserved it without a shadow of a doubt against such a strong team. Winning the Europa League is an extraordinary achievement.”