Gian Piero Gasperini is flattered by Pep Guardiola’s praise but warns Atalanta can only afford to beat Manchester City in the Champions League tomorrow.
City counterpart Pep Guardiola compared Gasperini to Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri and expressed the opinion that Atalanta were a “joy” to watch.
“Each Coach has their own characteristics. He has been and is a reference for many Coaches around the world,” the 61-year-old said at a Press conference.
“They have this philosophy of recovering the ball immediately. This ability was already very much developed when he was at Barcelona, with many attackers in the final third and the ball on the ground. You learn from the best.
“Guardiola’s a great person before being a great Coach. He put an unexpected gesture to me.
“When I was sacked by Inter, he called me through [Guardiola’s aide Manuel] Estiarte, whom I knew from my time at Pescara, and invited me to spend a few days with him in Barcelona.
“For me, it was an extraordinary gesture, one of great sensitivity, because at that moment he gave me something beautiful.
“That’s also why I respect him a lot. Having said that, being here is beautiful, even if City are definitely dangerous...
“It’s clear that we can miss a player like Zapata, but we made up for his absence very well against Lazio.
“We lack an alternative, either on the pitch right away or during the match. He’s important to us and we know that for a few weeks we’ll have to do without him.
“Our objective is to achieve a result that’s the best possible. We’re very pleased to have received so much praise, but we need results. They’re what count.
“Atalanta were appreciated, above all, because they picked up points. It’s not easy, but we also want to pick up some good results in the Champions League.”