EUROPEAN GLORY! Atalanta wins their first major trophy in over 60 years

• Atalanta BC won the Europa League against Bayer Leverkusen, who was unbeaten for 51 consecutive games.
• The club from Bergamo only had one other major title in their history, which they won 61 years ago.

Last night, Atalanta BC won the Europa League at the Aviva Stadium, in Dublin. They managed to defeat Xabi Alonso’s (42 years old) Bayer Leverkusen, who was preparing to extend their world record of 51 consecutive games unbeaten and to win their second trophy of the season.

However, Gian Piero Gasperini (66 years old) and his Italian side crushed their dreams, preventing them from the unbeaten treble.

This is Atalanta’s first European trophy in their history and only their second major one, apart from a Coppa Italia they won 61 years ago, during the 1962-1963 season. Their only other titles are 5 Serie B and 1 Serie C.

What happened yesterday can easily go down as Atalanta’s greatest match ever, part of one of the best overall seasons in their entire history as a club.

They currently sit 5th in Serie A, and with 2 games left against Torino (H) and Fiorentina (H), they have the potential of finishing on the podium, in the 3rd spot of the competition. Atalanta also managed to reach the final of Coppa Italia, which they lost against Juventus.

That means they are automatically qualified for the next Supercoppa Italiana, in the semifinals against either Inter Milan, AC Milan, or Juventus. Through their Europa League success, they also secured Champions League football next season.

The Man of the Match

Ademola Lookman (26 yeas old) was officially named the UEFA Europa League Final Player of the Match, after managing to score 3 goals to beat Leverkusen.

Additionally, it was the first time in the history of the competition when someone scored a hattrick in the final.The Nigerian striker has 15 goals and 8 assists in 43 appearances this season.

Lookman has always been a journeyman, frequently switching clubs through transfers and loans in his career, but he seems to have found stability in the Atalanta squad. 

Last but not least, he also has an interesting story at the international level. Born in London, England, he represented his nation at youth level, having played for the Under-19, Under-20, and Under-21 English National team. He even won the Under-20 World Cup.

However, in 2022, because he was not called up for the senior squad, he applied to represent Nigeria. His parents are both Nigerian, therefore his application was approved by FIFA, and currently has 2 goals in 8 matches for his new national team.

Historical Path

By analyzing Atalanta’s Europa League group,we can see that their path was not easy at all. Starting from a medium-dificulty group, made up of Raków Częstochowa, SK Sturm Graz, and initially favorites to win the group, Sporting CP.

Atalanta managed to top the group with 14 points and move directly to the round of 16, where they faced the Portuguese team in their ground, which they beat 3-2 on aggregate. 

The quarter-finals saw Atalanta become the definition of an underdog, as they took on Liverpool and wrecked their hopes for European glory by winning with the score of 4-0 over both legs. In the first leg of the semi-finals, Olympique Marseille managed to get a draw in France.

However, Atalanta came back with a 3-0 win to secure a place in the final, which they won with the same score against Bayer Leverkusen. It’s safe to say that Atalanta was not a favorite in most of their matches, but they proved the ones that did not believe in them wrong in the end.