Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino expressed his apologies following a 3-2 defeat against Cagliari, a result that has dashed their hopes of securing a top-six finish. The coach also addressed his future, stating, “I am not bound by contracts or money; I aim to be ambitious.”
The Bergamo club was still reeling from their Coppa Italia semi-final exit against Lazio in a penalty shootout the previous week, and the effects of that grueling 120-minute match were evident. In Sardinia, they conceded an early goal within 16 seconds to teenager Paul Mendy, who quickly doubled the lead just seven minutes later. Although Gianluca Scamacca managed to equalize with a brace by halftime, Gennaro Borrelli scored the decisive goal for Cagliari in the opening minute of the second half.
Palladino Expresses Frustration with Atalanta’s Performance
Palladino confessed to DAZN Italia, “We conceded a goal when we were practically still in the locker room. Starting that way can be demoralizing. We struggled to regain our physical and mental energy after the Coppa Italia. It’s obvious when you’re a goal down within 30 seconds. I had hoped the players would turn things around today, but we didn’t, and we apologize to the fans for our performance.”
“We aimed to keep our European hopes alive, and we failed to do so, so there are many regrets.”
Cagliari, on the other hand, displayed significant motivation, and this victory propelled them eight points clear of the relegation zone with only four rounds remaining.
“They came out fighting from the start, but we did show a strong reaction to equalize. Cagliari played with a lot of aggression and intensity, but conceding the third goal immediately after the restart was a mistake on our part. After that, they defended deeply, making it difficult for us to break them down, even though we had many scoring opportunities. I believe their goalkeeper was the Man of the Match; Elia Caprile was extraordinary.”
Palladino experimented with a two-striker formation in the second half, pairing Scamacca with Nikola Krstovic, a tactic that might be employed more frequently in future matches.
“It’s an option for certain games. Today, we had many individual battles to fight, so we used two center-forwards.”
The coach has managed to revitalize Atalanta after a sluggish start under Ivan Juric. However, it now appears they are on track to finish seventh in Serie A, which might not be sufficient for qualification to the Conference League.
“Since I arrived, we have climbed a mountain and had a great journey. We were in 13th place and managed to contend for a European spot, but we expended a lot of energy chasing that goal over many months,” Palladino added.
“When you’re chasing, you can’t afford a single mistake, and when you do, it feels like the world is collapsing around you. These players have had to deal with many setbacks since the start of the campaign, so now we’re a bit short on mental and physical energy.”
“I had hoped we could hit the reset button after the Coppa Italia, but it’s not easy after just 4-5 days. Unfortunately, the gap is quite significant now, but we will keep fighting until the last day.”
Palladino was appointed in mid-November to replace Juric. Regarding his future at Atalanta, he stated:
“I am happy at Atalanta. I’ve tried to do my best. I am not bound by contracts or money; I aim to be very ambitious and want to do my best for this club until the end of the season.”
