The former coach: “The club is solid and competent, if they have decided to make a change there must be a reason”
Ottavio Bianchi saw the new stadium in person last Sunday. He was fascinated by how it has changed and how it now represents excellence in the sector. He expected to see something beautiful on the field too. Instead he witnessed Sassuolo’s 3-0 and Ivan Juric’s last performance on the Atalanta bench. He who played with the Bergamo shirt from 1971 to 1973, coaching it a decade later, from 1981 to 1983.
You witnessed a historic event in its own way: Atalanta hadn’t sacked a running coach since 2015: what do you think?
“I’m never in favor of changes in coaches because it’s a defeat. However, these are assessments that are made from within, by those who know the situation well. It’s complicated for me to make a judgement. But…”.
“But if a solid and capable club like Atalanta decides to take this step, it means that it was necessary. The club has always preferred continuity over coaching changes. The history with Gian Piero Gasperini certifies this. And it is a choice that favors the club to continue along the same line.”
What game did you watch on Sunday?
“Bland, without backbone. You couldn’t figure out who was the worst on the pitch. And that’s saying something because usually someone emerges negatively. I saw a bad match and an Atalanta team in serious difficulty.”
Can the change of coach provide a shock?
“It certainly puts all the players face to face with their responsibilities. Once the manager is replaced, the alibis are over. There are no more children or stepchildren, if there ever were any. And from today onwards everyone will start on the same line as regards the evaluations of the new coach.”
While the situation in the Champions League is good, 11 days of the championship have passed and we need to go back up because at the moment the team is closer to the relegation zone than to the Champions League zone. Is there time?
“There is time, indeed. However, we must quickly acknowledge the difficulties, work and start again immediately.”
It happened in your career to take over the running. What do we find in cases like this?
“I don’t know the Atalanta environment, I can talk about my past experiences. I usually found the players disappointed, with a dejected look. The players themselves realized that they no longer had an alibi and that they were forced to react.”
In a less than perfect situation like the change of coach, can there be any basis for optimism?
“Without a shadow of a doubt, a new coach does not enter a new locker room with predefined hierarchies. The team starts from the same level and whoever manages to assimilate the coach’s new ideas more quickly can have an advantage. Everyone will give their all to be ready for the restart.”
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