Koopmeiners, the other clue that smiles at Juve: Gasperini picks up the phone

The tug of war continues between the Dutch midfielder who only wants the Bianconeri and Atalanta

Gian Piero Gasperini 's announcement about Teun Koopmeiners has shaken the Atalanta world , given the strong stance taken by the Dutch midfielder who is forcing his move to Juventus . A situation that is not new to the Nerazzurri in recent years and which has been handled differently depending on the case. In fact, we will have to understand what the Goddess' decision will be, who could decide to please their star for what he has done in recent seasons or put up a wall and oppose the transfer.

Atalanta, Koopmeiners case: the precedents

The most sensational case that broke out during Gasperini's long management was certainly the one involving Papu Gomez in the 2020-21 season. The Argentine had in fact argued heavily with the coach during a Champions League group match against Midtjyllan. An argument that had led to the Atalanta star first being left out of the squad and then to his transfer to Sevilla for just under 7 million euros during the January transfer market. Only a few months ago the relationship between the two was finally mended.

A similar case also for Merih Demiral , sold just a year ago to Saudi Arabia due to his now compromised relationship with Gasperini . The Turk has never hidden his lack of sympathy for the coach, as recalled in several interviews: "I didn't say goodbye to him when I left Bergamo and he never contacted me again. Gasperini as a coach is out of the question, the results speak for him. However, I don't like the way he treats the players. On a human level, I prefer De Zerbi, Sarri and Pirlo : I would even go to dinner with them, but not with Gasperini".

The most recent case concerns José Luis Palomino . The Argentine defender, currently a free agent, was in fact left out of the squad in the second part of last season with Atalanta . The reason seems to be linked to the performance deemed no longer sufficient by Gasperini and which led him to reach the expiry of his contract after several seasons also spent as a protagonist in Bergamo. In the meantime, the hashtag for Koopmeiners has started on social media by the Juventus fans...

#FreeKoop, the hashtag to "free" Koopmeiners

Meanwhile on X the Juventus fans' plebiscite is clear: there is anticipation for the possible arrival of Koopmeiners in black and white. And given the Dutchman's iron will to arrive in Turin, as also explicitly revealed by Gasperini, the hashtag #FreeKoop has started on social media , so that the player can be "freed" from Atalanta, thus fulfilling his desire to wear the Juventus jersey.

A warning that started yesterday evening from the Juventus supporters and was further strengthened after the interview with the Bergamo coach who, without mincing words, stated that Koopmeiners wants to leave Atalanta to join the court of Thiago Motta .

Gasperini calls O'Riley

Teun Koopmeiners ' stance certainly didn't please Atalanta , who now have a choice: satisfy the player's requests, also cashing in a significant sum from Juventus , or put up a wall to send a strong signal to the other players in the squad. The most logical solution would seem to be the first, but we'll have to understand what Percassi 's decision will be . The Dutchman has had an agreement with the Bianconeri club for months, who now hope to be able to finalise the deal with the Bergamo team. In the meantime, Gasperini wanted to send out a signal right away. What? That of calling up Koopmeiners for Atalanta's afternoon training session in Zingonia. In all this, yesterday there was direct contact between Gasp and O'Riley, the Dane (of Scottish origins) that the Nerazzurri have chosen as an alternative to Koop.