Atalanta have managed to qualify for Champions League in three straight seasons. However, president Antonio Percassi says they are not really title contenders: “I would like people to stop talking about the Scudetto. We have just won three in a row by finishing third in consecutive years.”
The executive spoke to L’Eco di Bergamo: “We are Atalanta, we can not mourn for a tie with Bologna. We will always manage the club very carefully. Our main objective is to keep the balance sheets in order. That being said, I think we improved this summer. It would not have been possible without the sale of Cristiano Romero. Instead, we shore up every role. We must remain grounded; otherwise, we risk losing our focus. Plus, we would never be happy. Our fans must enjoy what we have accomplished.”
Percassi weighed in on the transfer market: “Tammy Abraham is an example of what we are not. We are familiar with the player, but his cost and wages are top-level. Atalanta are in a different dimension. I am here to defend some choices that I consider paramount for the future of the club. Juan Musso was our no.1 target, bringing back Davide Zappacosta was a great deal, then we will see how Merih Demiral fares when he will have learned the system.”
“We kept the same attack, and we ameliorated statistically after the departure of Alejandro Gomez. I believe Josip Ilicic can be fully recovered, as he is practicing serenely. Roberto Piccoli did not play a lot at Spezia last season, but he was successful in the box. He got off to a good start here too. If he scores, his minutes do not really matter. He is a true Bergamasco, and we decided to hold onto him, not only for sports reasons.”