An astonishing revelation has surfaced regarding Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez’s departure from Atalanta last season. The Argentine striker left for Seville after spending seven seasons in Bergamo, where he made 252 appearances for the club and scored 59 goals in the process.
The 33-year-old veteran forward has claimed that he left Atalanta in January this year because coach Gian Piero Gasperini tried to physically assault him during a half time team talk in a Champions League match against FC Midtjylland last season.
Speaking to Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Gomez revealed his intention to stay in Italy, which was made impossible due to club president Antonio Percassi denying him the opportunity to join any other Serie A club.
He recalled the disturbing Champions League incident and remarked: “I disobeyed him in a tactical indication. There were 10 minutes left until the first half was over and he asked me to play on the right, while I was playing very well on the left. I said no. Having done that in the middle of the game, with the cameras. It was fine that he got angry. I already knew that at half-time he was going to take me out, and he did. But in the halftime locker room he exceeded the limits and tried to physically attack me. When there is physical aggression, it is intolerable”
Adding further he said: “It was ugly because after seven years they left me lying there, after everything I gave the club. They behaved badly. The president did not have the balls to ask the coach to simply apologise to me. That was the end of everything.”
Gasperini has however refuted these claims by Gomez as he indicated in an exclusive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The coach said: “Gomez’s attitudes, on and off the pitch, had become unacceptable for the coach and his teammates. The physical aggression was his, not mine, but the real reason why he left. from Bergamo is for having seriously disrespected the owners of the club. I hope that Gomez can continue to be talked about with his performances, as he did at Atalanta.”