‘Reborn’ Atalanta lift devastated Bergamo
Atalanta, inspired by the message "I will be reborn, you will be reborn", brought Serie A football back to Bergamo in style on Sunday following the coronavirus lockdown with a 4-1 victory over Sassuolo as Inter Milan enjoyed a 2-1 victory against Sampdoria.
Bergamo was badly hit by the virus, with the city, situated in the northern Lombardy region of which Milan is the capital, at the epicentre of Italy's COVID-19 crisis. Gian Piero Gasperini's side hosted rivals Sassuolo behind closed doors in their Gewiss Stadium in a match played in memory of the city's thousands of virus victims.
Duvan Zapata scored a brace with Berat Djimsiti also on target as Sassuolo's Mehdi Bourabia turned into his own net, before pulling a goal back deep into injury time.
The province of Bergamo suffered 6,000 more deaths than usual during the COVID-19 outbreak, including 670 in Bergamo city which has a population of around 122,000.
During a minute's silence before the game, players formed a circle, with the backdrop of the music "Rinascero, Rinascerai" (I will be reborn, you will be reborn), a song composed during lockdown by Roby Facchinetti, an Italian musician from Bergamo.
The club also broadcast on social media a video accompanying the song, in which Atalanta players, Gasperini and doctors and nurses held up the same message: "Rinascero, Rinascerai."
Before the match, a few supporters gathered around the stadium to welcome the players as they arrived in the team coach.
"We came to support the team, even if we know we can't get in," fan Giorgio Arboldi, 50, told AFP TV. "The passion is so strong."
Some fans remained opposed to the restart, holding up a banner which read: "Football without tifosi (fans) is not football."
On the pitch, Atalanta consolidated their hold on the fourth and final Champions League spot, moving six points ahead of fifth-placed Roma.
"It's a very important victory, when you resume after a long time it is inevitable there will be doubts, but we put them to one side by playing an excellent match that led to a great success which was also important for our position in the table," said Gasperini.
Atalanta are six points behind Inter Milan who beat Sampdoria in the San Siro, with goals from Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, to close to within six points of leaders Juventus.
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