Fans think Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini aimed dig at Man City after Europa League final triumph

Fans think Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini aimed a dig at Manchester City and other big-spending clubs after his side won the Europa League final.

The Italian side beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 to secure a remarkable triumph, with former Everton forward Ademola Lookman scoring a hat-trick.

Gasperini's side faced a tough draw to even get to the final in Dublin, beating Sporting Lisbon, Liverpool and Marseille in the knockout stages.

They then defeated Leverkusen, who had been unbeaten for the entire season in all competitions up to that point, to win their first European trophy and their first trophy of any kind since the 1962/63 Coppa Italia.

Speaking after the final whistle, meanwhile, Gasperini made a comment about Atalanta's success, telling reporters: "Winning with Atalanta is one of those footballing fairytales that rarely crop up.

"It gives scope for meritocracy: there is still scope for ideas and doesn't have to come down to cold, hard money."

The Italian side recorded a negative net spend of around €70 million last summer, boosted primarily by the £72 million sale of Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United.

The summer did see the arrival of their two club-record transfers in strikers El Bilal Toure and Gianluca Scamacca, but the money was reinvested from the Hojlund sale and Toure reportedly cost €28 million - a relatively miniscule amount in the context of skyrocketing transfer fees at the elite level.

And fans think that, through his remarks, Gasperini was aiming a dig at City and other clubs with state ownership and huge spending power.

Great quote from Gasperini tonight

“Winning with Atalanta is one of those footballing fairytales that rarely crop up. It gives scope for meritocracy: there is still scope for ideas and doesn’t have to come down to cold, hard money."

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) May 23, 2024

One wrote: "This title from Gasperini with Atalanta is worth more than several from Guardiola with City."

Another said: "Have to agree, pity about the Premier League. Well done Atalanta."

A third added: "Refreshing when a side comes along that can't quite be controlled by money but also the supremacy of a philosphy."

Another fan, though, disagreed, pointing out that recent winners of the Europa League haven't been big spenders: "He's talking nonsense. Sevilla won it the year before. Frankfurt the year before that. Villarreal the year before that."