Atalanta chief Luca Percassi says the club and coach Gian Piero Gasperini have been good for eachother.

Gasperini came close to leaving at the end of last season.

“Atalanta were very fortunate to meet Gasperini, but I think Atalanta were also very good for the coach," Percassi told Sky Italia.

“Together we achieved results that had never been approached before. Every season starts from scratch and the past counts only to a certain degree, as what matters is the present and plans for the future.

“We are particularly proud of this project, which had been talked about for so many years. Bergamo deserved a stadium worthy of the city and the investment that will eventually reach €100m is on the one hand scary, but on the other makes us proud."

He added, “European competition gives us more visibility, but thanks also to the efforts of our owners, we are able to sign players of a higher level. When my father bought Atalanta in 2010, he said his dream was to see the club in Serie A for 10 consecutive seasons. I think we've gone well beyond that now.

“Just qualifying for the Champions League and Europa League is the same as winning a trophy."