Gasperini is unconvinced by the development pathway inside Itay's junior and youth football.
“The aim for Atalanta is above all to create value with players, more than to win trophies,” said Gasperini.
“I started out at youth academies and have always worked with clubs who base their strategy on young players. However, we make a big mistake in Italian football, because professional clubs tend to choose players who are a little taller or bigger than the others. That doesn’t help to create champions and we end up with teams full of overseas players.
“On the other hand, Barcelona tend to develop players who are ‘normal’ on a physical level. That’s apart from Lamine Yamal, who is phenomenal. In Spain, they respect the characteristics of a Mediterranean nation and that means focusing on technique rather than physicality.”
Parents of 6 year-old players fighting in the stands
Gasperini admits he wants to see a shift in attitudes towards junior football.
He explained, “One of the mistakes we make in Italy is demanding results straight away from kids rather than giving them the freedom to play, make mistakes, enjoy themselves and learn.
"At the age of six, you already have tournaments with parents beating each other up in the stands. Physicality is given the preference over everything else.”