The Mayor of Bergamo praises Atalanta as they go into the Europa League final tonight against a formidable Bayer Leverkusen side.

Speaking in an interview (via TMW), the Mayor of Bergamo, Giorgio Gori glorified his local team Atalanta for reaching the Europa League final and confirmed his presence in the stands. He said: “I wanted to be there, even if I’m in the electoral campaign for the European Championships. We have won a place in the Champions League for the fourth time in seven years, and it’s already a great thing at the Aviva Stadium, against a very strong opponent.”

Giorgio Gori applauded the city’s support for La Dea and acknowledged the club’s work during pandemic times to rise to this stage tonight. The Mayor remarked: “With Leverkusen, it will be different. Bergamo owes a lot to its team. It’s not just football, it’s the province that goes to Europe. After the darkness of COVID-19, the city has risen again, climbing the rankings for quality of life, economy, and innovation. Atalanta has been a source of inspiration I’m happy to have been mayor during Gasperini’s years.”

When asked about who is the most loved between him and Gian Piero Gasperini amongst Bergamo residents, Gori said: “You can’t fight Gasp. I had to make him an honorary citizen, it wasn’t acceptable that he wasn’t from Bergamo. And I think he had a small influence on his choice to stay here for a long time.”

Trambak Bhattacherjee | GIFN