Dublin: Atalanta broke the record books after beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday.
Ademola Lookman’s stunning hat-trick helped Atalanta win their second major trophy in their 117-year history in the final in Dublin.
At 66 years and 117 days, Gian Piero Gasperini reportedly became the oldest coach to win his first European final, and the second Italian coach to win the UEFA Europa League in 2019 after Mauricio Sarri.
Atalanta also won their first European Cup, becoming the first Italian team to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League since Parma in 1999.
Meanwhile, Lookman became only the second player to score a hat-trick in a major European competition final for Italy after Pierino Prati at the 1969 European Cup in Milan.
Gasperini has more months after 25 “cursed” years as they became the first Italian club to win the competition since Parma in 1999, known as the UEFA Cup.
“I’m proud for all of Italy, because in the last 25 years only Inter and Roma have reached the final and lost, but it’s a cursed trophy,” Gasperini told reporters.
“To win against Atalanta is one of those rare football legends and shows that there is still room for meritocracy in football.
“There is still room for ideas, it’s not just about numbers and Super League (clubs).”
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso is delighted with his unbeaten European record but will try to shake off the pain of his last Europa League defeat in three days on Wednesday.
Leverkusen has broken Bayern Munich’s 11-year Bundesliga monopoly in Germany and can secure domestic double safety with victory over Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on Saturday.
“This is not habit to lose in 52 games. Usually it happens at the beginning of the season. What we achieved was very special and we should be very proud, maybe after a while, but now it hurts.” Alonso said in a press conference
“I will learn, I will learn because that defeat in the final, you will never forget.”
