Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini shared his experiences with the corona virus when speaking with Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I had the coronavirus, I thought about death. The day before the Valencia math, I was not well. The day before the match even worse. I didn't have a nice face on the bench. It was March 10th. The two nights before in Zingonia, I slept very little. I didn't have a fever, but I felt in pieces as if I had a 40 degree temperature. Ten days ago the tests confirmed I had COVID-19. I had the antibodies, which doesn't mean that I'm immune now."
With the worst seemingly behind Gasp, Atalanta is ready to start again and will be the team that reopens Serie A with a match against Sassuolo. It's a symbolic part of the league, giving the first round to the city most impacted by the virus.
"Atalanta can help Bergamo start again, with respect to the pain of everyone. It will take time for the joy in the piazza and airport, but the Bergamaschi are the embers under the ashes. Slowly, everything will come back. There isn't a player that distanced himself from the city. More than one lost weight, but it could be due to psychological unease. It's difficult to guess how everyone was impacted emotionally. Someone had family far away. Surely the team remained connected with the suffering of Bergamo and will bring that onto the pitch."
