Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso can confirm his status as a rising coaching star in Wednesday’s Europa League final, but he will face a wily old fox in Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini.
Alonso rejected advances from former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich to remain in charge of Leverkusen after leading the club to their first Bundesliga title with an unprecedented unbeaten season.
The German champions are unbeaten in 51 games in all competitions and could achieve a remarkable treble in two finals this week.
Leverkusen are heavy favorites to beat second-division Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on Saturday.
But the team faces a much more complicated task in Dublin, facing an Atalanta team who could also achieve their best-ever season.
Provincial club from Bergamo, Atalanta traditionally lives in the shadow of neighboring giants AC and Inter Milan.
However, they are enjoying a golden age under Gapserini and will be competing in the Champions League next season for the fourth time in five years.
Yet they always lost a trophy to mark an era of punching above their weight.
Atalanta have not won titles for 61 years, having lost three Coppa Italia finals in the last six seasons, most recently to Juventus less than a week ago.
“Is it the highest point of my career? Yes, in terms of achievements and prestige, for sure,” Gasperini told UEFA.com upon reaching the club’s first European final.
“I don’t think winning a cup is necessarily always part of the parameters by which success is judged. Everyone has their own goals. When you manage to surpass them by far, as happened at Atalanta, you still have to be very satisfied.
“If we can also add a cup, of course we will be even more satisfied.”
The 61-year-old said the “world has changed” at Atalanta since taking charge eight years ago.
Back then, just surviving in Série A was a success. Now continental football may be commonplace, but they had two of the best nights in their history by eliminating European giants Liverpool and Marseille on the road to Dublin.
– ‘Golden letters’ –
Gasperini’s willingness to take risks with attacking football and nurture young talent has won Alonso’s admiration.
“He has a clear plan and has built a team with a strong mentality and high quality,” said the Spaniard. “They are a top team. We will have opportunities if we are at our best.”
But it is Atalanta who must produce something remarkable in the Irish capital to stop the Leverkusen juggernaut.
In contrast to Gasperini’s modest playing career in the lower tiers of Italian football, Alonso was a World Cup and multiple Champions League-winning midfielder with extensive European finals experience to draw on from his playing days.
However, in a career that spanned Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, not even he experienced a season like this.
“It would be historic,” the 42-year-old said of the prospect of going through the season unbeaten in all competitions.
“It would be something written in golden letters, not only in the history of our club, but probably in the whole of European football. I hope we can do it.”
kca/dmc
