José Mourinho is not the only coach in the Italian championship to have resisted a Saudi raid last summer.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini has revealed that he was approached by a Saudi club during the summer. As José Mourinho did with AS Roma, however, he refused because he had a commitment with his Lombard team.
Saudi Arabia also faces refusals
Gasperini and his Atalanta leaders studied their options last May before deciding to continue their collaboration for at least another year. The transalpine technician did not see himself breaking this pact, even if exile in the Gulf was tempting.
He stated : “There was a possibility, but I wasn’t mentally ready and I already had a commitment. It’s not a flash in the pan, they know what they want and have enormous availability. I would only go with the conviction of bringing something new. Beyond the money, it would be the crowning achievement of my career.”
Gasperini does not have any titles with Atalanta. Nevertheless, his time at this club is a real success. In 2020, he notably guided this team to the quarter-finals of the Champions League (beaten by PSG).
