In his pre-match press conference ahead of his Atalanta side’s clash against Juventus tomorrow, Gian Piero Gasperini discussed the effect that Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence could have, as well as addressing allegations that he interrupted a doping test.
His words transcribed in Sky Sport, the coach denied claims that he had insulted an official during a surprise doping test in February from Italy’s national antidoping organisation (NADA) at Atalanta’s training ground. Gasperini has since been referred to the national antidoping tribunal, which could see him hit with a ban of up to 20 days, having rejected the initial 10-day sentence and asked for a hearing, scheduled for May 10. As a result, La Dea’s manager could miss out on the Coppa Italia final against tomorrow’s opponents.
“It’ll be a problem for Juventus, not for us. It’s a team that has some frightening assets, but our preparation is based on the whole squad we’re facing, not individual players.”
“I managed Paulo Dybala as a kid in Palermo, he was extraordinary and predestined. […] There’s no doubt about his footballing ability, but I would have preferred for Paulo to be out for another week or two!”
“All I can say is that there was no interruption. I will explain the rest during the hearing.”
