“It gives scope for meritocracy” - Gian Piero Gasperini aims dig at football’s big spenders after Atalanta’s Europa League win

Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini sent a hard-hitting message to football's big spenders following his team's Europa League victory on Wednesday night (May 22).

The Italian outfit completed a comprehensive 3-0 win over a Bayer Leverkusen team, who hadn't lost in their previous 51 matches across competitions. Ademola Lookman was exceptional on the night, as he bagged a hat-trick, scoring twice in the first half (12' and 26') and once more after the interval (75').

Following his team's win, Gasperini was quick to point out that there is still space for stories like this, and the big spenders don't always end up winning.

"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," he said (via @MiguelDelaney).

On the night, Atalanta managed 10 shots, out of which seven found the target. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso's team also recorded the same amount of shots, but only tested the opposition keeper on three occasions.

Despite conceding 67 percent possession to Bayer Leverkusen, the Italians didn't have to deal with many clear-cut opportunities within their box. On their way to the final, Atalanta defeated Marseille in the semi-final, a strong Liverpool team in the last eight.

This year, Gasperini and company finished fifth in Serie A and will be participating in next season's UEFA Champions League.

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Gian Piero Gasperini speaks out after Atalanta win Europe League final

Gian Piero Gasperini

Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini lavished praise on his team after they managed to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.

The Italians came up against some tough opponents on their way to the final, including this season's Liga Portugal winners, Sporting.

Pointing this out after the match, Gasperini said (via One Football):

"I don't understand this thing about being judged by trophies. It's not like I'm any better now than I was this afternoon."

"I think we wrote history, also for the way we won. Extraordinary, we repeated Liverpool, Lisbon... Sporting, they won the league, when we faced Liverpool they were first in the Premier League...Incredible. The boys were extraordinary, a memorable performance," he added.

This victory marks the Serie A team's first-ever trophy in Europe. From 54 matches across competitions this season, Gasperini's team have won 31, losing 13, and have drawn 10.