Maurizio Sarri said Atalanta’s decision to remain at their Zingonia training base until Sunday is intended to bring the squad closer together, as the team prepares to face Kairat Almaty in the Conference League. The coach said the retreat would give players time to build stronger personal relationships, including away from football, and work through their current problems.
Sarri said the arrangement was not new to him and that experience had helped him deal with such situations. He was pleased with parts of Atalanta’s first half against Parma, but criticised their defensive carelessness and their response after conceding. In his view, the team stopped believing after the opening goal, with the second following as a consequence.
The coach said Atalanta needed to reflect on why a single setback had affected them so strongly. He also pointed to the disparity in chances against Parma, saying the team had 12 goal opportunities to their opponents’ three, while adding that Atalanta had lacked enough aggression in both penalty areas. He said tactics were not the cause of the problems.
Sarri described the Kairat match as difficult because of Atalanta’s own challenges. He noted that the opponents had lost 2-1 to Inter in Milan and 3-2 to Arsenal in London over the past year. On the injury front, he said Gianluca Scamacca was trying to return.
Sources: ANSA Sport.