Europa League winners Atalanta Bergamo have suffered a setback shortly before the start of the season against Real Madrid: Center forward Gianluca Scamacca has torn his cruciate ligament
Atalanta Bergamo have probably never started a season with a bigger highlight: The Europa League triumph over the otherwise unbeaten Bayer 04 Leverkusen, only the second title in the club’s history after the Coppa Italia in 1963, means that the Bergamasques can compete in the European Super Cup. Their opponents on Wednesday, August 14: the Champions League winners. Real Madrid.
The only bitter pill to swallow for coach Gian Piero Gasperini’s team is that they will be without one of their top scorers. Gianluca Scamacca, a 1.95-meter tall center forward, has torn his cruciate ligament, as the club announced on Monday afternoon. On Sunday, the 25-year-old Italian international (who played in all four European Championship matches) suffered an unfortunate injury to his left knee in a test match against Parma. The diagnosis is now close to the worst-case scenario.
Scamacca, who joined from West Ham United a year ago, scored 19 goals in 44 competitive games for Bergamo in 2023/24 and set up a further eight goals – including Ademola Lookman’s 3-0 winner in the EL final against Leverkusen. Scamacca also contributed six goals in eleven European Cup matches
Atalanta start with three away games
Atalanta will undergo surgery in Rome on Monday, according to the club, with the Italian media expecting him to be out for around six months.
Without Scamacca, Atalanta only have 22-year-old El Bilal Touré, a Mali international (387 league minutes in pre-season, two goals), as a classic center forward of sufficient stature. The EL winners will therefore probably have to make additions in this position.
After the Super Cup against Real, Atalanta’s league season (from August 17) begins with three away games, which is due to renovations at their home ground. The Bergamo side will first face US Lecce, FC Torino and champions Inter Milan before hosting Fiorentina at the renovated Gewiss Stadium on matchday 4 (September 15).