Sports
‘Must be perfect in these games’
BERGAMO, ITALY – DECEMBER 28: Atalanta BC coach Raffaele Palladino issues instructions to his players during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and FC Internazionale at New Balance Arena on December 28, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino reveals his gesture to Berat Djimsiti after the costly error gifted Inter all three points. ‘You have to be perfect against teams like this.’
La Dea were unable to shake off their notorious curse against Inter, having lost nine consecutive meetings in all competition.
They thought luck was perhaps on their side after Marcus Thuram’s goal was ruled offside, but Djimsiti’s misplaced pass was a gift for Francesco Pio Esposito, who set up the Lautaro Martinez winner.
Palladino forgiving after Atalanta errors
“We had a different plan to recent years when Atalanta played Inter, because if you press them high, they are very good at playing around you,” Palladino explained to DAZN Italia.
“So we preferred to sit back a bit more, I felt we did well off the ball, but could’ve done a little better in hurting them on the counter-attack. We were a bit too sterile in the first half.
“At half-time, I asked them to push forward more, move the ball side to side and spread the Inter defence. We did much better, but the regret is that we conceded that goal during a moment of the match where it was very even.”
A late Christmas gift for Lautaro Martinez and Inter Milan, and they take the lead in Bergamo! 🎁
Djimsiti won’t want to see that back 🫣
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Z4sdv6Y3Xl
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 28, 2025
Lazar Samardzic had a huge opportunity to equalise late on, but got the finish all wrong on a Charles De Ketelaere assist.
“I tried to throw on all the fresh legs I had, we also changed to a four-man defence. We created that big opportunity with Samardzic and unfortunately we were unable to put it into the net,” added Palladino.
“I told the team this game will help us to grow, because we were up against a great team, but we fought to the very end and must be able to accept the result. We have another very important match against Roma coming up, so need to wipe the slate clean.”
It was an unusual howler from Djimsiti, who is one of the most reliable and experienced defenders in the Atalanta squad.
“I went to hug Djimmi after the final whistle, because these are such rare mistakes from him, so I cannot be angry with him. It happens over the course of a season, it happened to him tonight,” confessed Palladino.
“We were too sterile in attack tonight, and you have to be perfect against teams like Inter, which means taking every half-chance you are given, because there won’t be many. They are so good at defending and those individual duels, so we were unfortunately lacking that finish, but we fought to the end.”
It is a setback for Atalanta, who had won seven of their last eight games in all competition including a Champions League victory over Chelsea.
They were caught in the Serie A table on 22 points by Sassuolo and Udinese.
It’s going to be an extraordinary fixture to open 2026, as Gian Piero Gasperini will return to Bergamo as the coach of Roma to face his former club. Is Palladino feeling the pressure of that comparison?
“It’s not a challenge between me and the past or me and Gasperini. He was a mentor to me, I thank him for everything he taught me, but we now have to focus on ourselves and the future. We have been on good form lately in Italy and the Champions League, so we will give it our all to win the game.”
