Atalanta captain Papu Gomez says there's great pride amongst the players after their run to the Champions League quarterfinals.

La Dea knocked out Valencia at the round of 16 stage to reach the final eight before the coronavirus suspension.

“We realised after the first three games that what we were doing was not enough," Papu told Fabio Cannavaro in an Instagram Live chat.

“When we understood that we needed to step up a gear, that's when we started doing really well.

“It's disappointing that the tournament had to be interrupted, as we are fourth in Serie A and in the Champions League quarter-finals, so we're in a good position.

“We were also a little lucky to pick Valencia in the draw, because they were on our level. If we'd been up against Liverpool, it might've been different.

“Having said that, nobody expected us to get this far, especially after the first three defeats."