Bergamo’s Atalanta BC return to action today, hoping that a resumption of their incredible soccer success will signal the historic Italian city’s return to normality after being devastated by COVID-19.
“These have been extremely difficult months,” Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori said, remembering the macabre images beamed around the world of dozens of coffins lined up for burial and the military convoys that carried them.
“March was a series of mournings, each bit of news more sad than the last. Now there’s relief. We’ve returned to a relatively normal situation,” he told reporters.
Photo: AFP
The province suffered 6,000 more deaths than usual during the COVID-19 outbreak, including 670 in the city of Bergamo, which has a population of about 122,000.
Almost everyone there has lost a relative, friend, colleague or neighbor.
It was uncovered that the UEFA Champions League match between Atalanta and Valencia on Feb. 19 played a significant role in spreading the novel coronavirus.
About 46,000 spectators gathered at Milan’s San Siro to watch Atalanta crush the Spanish team 4-1.
With every goal, local fans fell into each other’s arms, at the stadium and in bars.
The coronavirus was already known in China, but at the time seemed far away from Italy.
However, that soon changed, and from March 4, the number of cases in Bergamo rose sharply, leading some doctors to label the soccer match a “biological bomb” that had exploded.
After the second leg was played and also won, 4-3, on March 10 in Valencia, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini called for a big party to be held “later” as the team made it to the Champions League quarter-finals.
There followed more than two months of lockdown in Italy and tourists are yet to return to the UNESCO World Heritage Site city.
Today, Atalanta take on US Sassuolo in their first post-virus Serie A match, to be held without fans present, but with the team known as La Dea resuming what was far and away their best season ever.
“This match represents a small return to normality,” Atalanta supporter Andrea Sigorini, 36, said. “But as the staff and players have said, our thoughts will be with those who have been through such difficult times.”
“We’re in a hurry to see Atalanta play again, given the level they’re playing at,” Sigorini added.
Marino Lazzarini is head of the Friends of Atalanta fan club with 6,000 members and is also one of the club’s directors.
“Counting friends and others I know, I lost 40 people. Soccer helps us, not to forget, because we don’t forget, but to enjoy ourselves,” said the 71-year-old, who has been going to the stadium since he was four.
Atalanta captain Argentine Alejandro “Papu” Gomez has also called for soccer to resume, despite the opposition of some hardcore “ultra” fans.
“If you asked me two months ago, I would have been against,” he told Corriere dello Sport. “But now that it’s safer — that the virus appears to have weakened — I’m for it. Bergamo lives for soccer, breathes soccer — but Bergamo won’t forget.”
Those who are rejoicing at the resumption of soccer, even though behind closed doors, are desperate to know how their so-far incredible season ends.
Atalanta occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot in Serie A and sit three points clear of fifth-placed AS Roma with a game in hand.
“The lockdown happened at the most beautiful moment [for the team], an historic moment,” Lazzarini said. “We hope that the dream can resume.”
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