Palladino wary of Athletic despite injury crisis: 'We need full concentration'
Atalanta boss Raffaele Palladino isn't taking Athletic Club lightly in their crucial Champions League clash, despite the Basque side's notable absentees.
Atalanta manager Raffaele Palladino is keeping his feet firmly on the ground ahead of their crucial Champions League showdown with Athletic Club, despite the Spanish side’s injury troubles.
No room for complacency
Speaking at his pre-match press conference at the New Balance Stadium (known as Estadio de Bérgamo in UEFA competition), the Atalanta gaffer made it clear that Athletic’s missing players won’t lead to any drop in focus from his squad.
“We’ve been surprised by their absences, but we need to maintain full attention,” Palladino cautioned, refusing to take the Basque outfit lightly despite their depleted ranks.
The Italian tactician is absolutely buzzing about the current Champions League format, describing it as “very interesting” and highlighting the opportunity for his side to achieve something “unique and unrepeatable” in terms of points in this first round.
Top-eight prize
Palladino didn’t mince his words about what finishing in the top eight would mean:
- Prestige for the club
- Avoiding two additional matches
- Much-needed rest days for his players, who’ve barely had a breather in January
The Napoli-born coach was particularly chuffed with his team’s preparation, declaring Tuesday’s training session “the most beautiful of the entire season” - proper dog’s bollocks stuff, if you ask me.
Lookman boost
In a significant boost for La Dea, Ademola Lookman has cut short his AFCON break to make himself available for selection against Athletic. That’s the kind of commitment that has Palladino’s squad firing on all cylinders.
“We must maintain the same spirit and attitude as in recent months because we have the opportunity to deliver a high-performance against an excellent team,” Palladino insisted.
Respect for the opposition
Despite Athletic’s inconsistent results, Palladino isn’t taking anything for granted: “Champions League matches are different. We need to play a perfect game with great intensity.”
The Italian side’s ambitions were echoed by midfielder Ederson, who joined his manager at the presser: “We respect Athletic, but we have the opportunity to win, and that’s always wonderful. Our ambition is to reach the place we deserve.”
Palladino also took a moment to pay tribute to recently deceased Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso, showing his emotional side: “He loved me and I loved him. He will always be in my heart.”