Gasperini tried to hit me.

Papu Gomez broke the silence and spoke for the first time about the reasons for his separation from his former club Atalanta Bergamo.

The latest scandal came between Alejandro “Papu” Gomez and coach Gian Piero Gasperini when the then captain of “Dia” team failed to follow his coach’s tactical instructions in the Champions League match against FC Midtland in early December 2020. The Argentine explains in an interview with “Nation”Why rebel?

“There were ten minutes left in the first half and Gasperini asked me to switch to the right but I played very well on the left. So I said no. Imagine what that would mean on the pitch today, with all the cameras. I knew the coach was going to get pissed, take me out at halftime, And he did. But what happened in the locker room broke all boundaries, says Gomez.

Gasperini tried to hit me. You can discuss it, but I can’t accept physical aggression,” says the 33-year-old. Then he asked President Antonio Percassi to speak to him and told him he had no problem continuing with Gasperini. He also bears part of the blame, as he did not act properly As a leader because he ignored the coach’s instructions.

No reaction prevents further relationship

But in order to continue the relationship, he insisted on an apology from Gasperini to the president. After all, no club can tolerate a coach trying to attack a player, Gomez says.

The next day he apologized to his teammates and the coach in front of the assembled team. However, Gasperini said nothing and did not apologize for his attempted assault.

That’s why he told Percassi that he no longer wanted to stay with Atalanta. He replied that he would not let him go easily. Then he was punished. “After all I’ve done for the club,” complains Gomez, who played for Bergamasken for seven years and was a fan favorite there. “I was excluded from the team to train alone or with the reserve.”

“I was the best midfielder in the Italian league, so they did not want to give up a direct competitor. I received offers from Arabia and the United States, they wanted to send me there.” Fortunately, the Seville option appeared next. The Andalusians had to pay five million euros to the Argentine international in January 2021.

Gasperini responds to these allegations

His anger at what he saw as unjustified treatment has yet to subside. “You threw me in the trash. It still hurts today.” Above all, the club’s management disappointed him greatly. He sees “economic reasons” behind this.

Gasperini is one of the best coaches in Europe whose work increases the value of the players in the team. They chose him, not me, because they knew he would continue to guarantee their money from selling players.” With his remarks, Gomez finally wants to give his view of things to Atalanta fans, who deserve to know the truth. “From day to day they made me disappear and wanted to blame everything. They wanted to make it look like I went to Seville for the money.”

Gasperini has already responded to harsh criticism of his longtime main player. “His behavior and attitude on and off the field have become unacceptable to me and his teammates.” He asserts: “The physical aggression came from him, not from me.” The real reason for his departure from Bergamo was that he severely ignored the club’s owners. But Gasperini wants: “I hope Gomez will continue to make a name for himself through his achievements, as he did at Atalanta.”