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Today’s UCL draw has thrown up some brilliant narratives for August’s knockout stage, but for us there is no fixture more fascinating than Atalanta vs PSG. Thread:
Atalanta is the ultimate fairytale of this UCL season, a club playing in the tournament for the very first time with a wage bill that is the 6th smallest in Serie A and a stadium that doesn’t meet UEFA standards meaning they have been forced to play home matches at the San Siro.
And how Atalanta have even made it this deep into the tournament defies belief, where at the halfway point of the group stage they had lost all three matches conceding 11 & scoring only 2.
Already 1-0 down at home to Man City in the fourth group stage game, they conceded a penalty and with City a spot kick away from doubling the lead, Atalanta looked all but out…
But Gabriel Jesus missed the penalty, Atalanta later equalised and then they went on to win their final 2 group matches to somehow sneak into the knockouts.
Which of course, led to these scenes™:
We were lucky enough to be in Atalanta’s home town of Bergamo throughout a lot of this during our time filming Derby Days Lombardia
And what we learnt was this is a provincial club whose passion is truly unmatched, even in a country renowned for its devotion to football. A city whose connection with their club is so deep they don’t say they go to the stadium; they go to Atalanta.
Having qualified for the round of 16, 44,000 Bergamaschi made the short trip to Milan to watch Atalanta defeat Valencia in the clubs most important ever match. Which of course led to this famous letter https://twitter.com/ElMengem/status/1230487849994194944
There is something deeply eerie knowing what we know now looking back at clips from that match. Who could have known this moment of joy would lead to such heartbreak
A month later, some epidemiologists would describe the match as a “ biological bomb”, as the region became the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/coronavirus-news-latest-atalanta-valencia-champions-league-italy-crisis-bergamo-a9448541.html
According to studies, more than 50% of Bergamo has been infected with Coronavirus. In fact, It's amongst the most deeply impacted cities in the world, so much so @nytimes labelled the town as “The bleak heart of the world’s deadliest coronavirus outbreak” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/27/world/europe/coronavirus-italy-bergamo.html
By the time Atalanta beat Valencia in the 2nd leg away in Spain, Bergamo was in total lockdown. So fans donated their ticket refunds to a local hospital & after the game Atalanta players sent a message of solidarity back to their city “Bergamo, this is for you, Don’t give up!”
And despite the horrific situation they find themselves in the midst of, since returning from the pandemic break, Atalanta have won 6 on the bounce scoring goals for fun, having now racked up 85 goals in 31 Serie A games.
Then there’s PSG’s story, where new wealthy ownership has brought stars, status, & domestic dominance but a decade on has still yet to bring a semi final appearance in the tournament due to a host of dramatic knock outs. We all remember Barca 2017 and United last year.
And whilst their squad means it's easy to focus on the PSG story on the pitch, we should remember just how special their fanbase is off it.
So, for a neutral, you’re left with the dream match to watch. Atalanta, arguably Europe’s most attacking side, against a team who won’t haven’t played a match for 5 months, but are blessed with the likes of Mbappe, Neymar, Di Maria, Icardi & Cavani up top https://twitter.com/kev_egan/status/1281570377760735234
How we see it, it's a footballing powerhouse, desperate to reach the semi’s and validate their elite ambitions against a community club caught between the very rare possibility of European glory whilst trapped in a feeling of collective mourning.
