Atalanta director Cristiano Giuntoli has praised coach Maurizio Sarri as 'the best signing' of the summer, according to a Sky Sport Italia interview. Giuntoli, who had already worked with Sarri at Juventus, believes the Italian coach's appointment represents a significant change in approach for the club.
Atalanta are in action this evening with their final pre-season friendly against Club Athletic Bilbao at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo. New signing Thomas Kristensen is on the bench for the first time following his move from Udinese. However, Charles De Ketelaere, Honest Ahanor and Kamaldeen Sulemana are among those out injured.
Giuntoli's comments come as Atalanta prepare for a new season in the Conference League play-off against Hapoel Tel-Aviv, a significant drop from the Champions League or Europa League football the club had become accustomed to in recent years. The club had previously been under Gian Piero Gasperini for nine years, before trying to hire his protegees Ivan Juric and Raffaele Palladino.
When asked about potential transfer targets, Giuntoli was dismissive, stating that the club is happy with the players they have. Atalanta's next step is to face Club Athletic Bilbao in their final pre-season friendly, with the match providing an opportunity for the team to fine-tune their preparations for the Conference League play-off.