Gian Piero Gasperini isn’t just the icon who placed Atalanta among the elite. He’s the feisty boss who has stood accused of being a dictator, bit back at Pep Guardiola, influenced new England boss Thomas Tuchel, amusingly told Cristiano Ronaldo to go to Hell and smacked mouthy AC Milan fans with his half-munched sandwich.
Opposite Brendan Rodgers in Bergamo is a manager who, at 66, has quality and charisma rolled into one. Gasperini is, of course, first and foremost a brilliant coach.
He only won his first trophy at the end of last season when ripping up Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten run and securing the Europa League.
But Serie A coach of the year in 2019 and 2020, he’s been an influence on many things over eight turning Atalanta from regular relegation scrappers into a big gun.