Stefano Pioli and Gian Piero Gasperini will face each other again tonight as AC Milan host Atalanata, and the Rossoneri have a desire for revenge.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (via PianetaMilan) recall how the two have been challenging each other for twenty years now. In fact, the first time that Pioli and Gasperini met on a football pitch as coaches dated September 2004 when Gasp’s Crotone won against Pioli’s Modena.
In September 2018, in the 90th minute of Fiorentina-Atalanta, the two had very different views on the officiating of referee Paolo Valeri and they pushed each other, almost coming to blows.
On 12 March 2017, Pioli led Inter to an incredible 7-1 against Gasperini’s Atalanta. The latter then took revenge on 22 December 2019 with the now infamous 5-0 win for La Dea against Milan.
In January 2021, Atalanta were 3-0 winners at San Siro and there was a heated conversation between Zlatan Ibrahimović and Duván Zapata on the field. In the return game, a brace of penalties from Franck Kessié secured second place and a return to the Champions League.
In the year of the Scudetto win for Milan, they emerged 3-2 victors at the Gewiss Stadium and 2-0 winners at San Siro in the last home game of the season. Last year, there was a 1-1 draw and then another 2-0 Rossonero win at home.
Earlier this season, Luis Muriel’s back heel in the 95th minute sealed a late win for Atalanta. In the Coppa Italia, Rafael Leão’s goal was not enough for Milan to get the better of Atalanta as Teun Koopmeiners’ brace got them through.
Between Pioli and Gasperini, therefore, 20 years of balanced and spectacular matches. We’ll see who comes out on top tonight.
