MILAN: Atalanta were given a hero’s welcome on Sunday as the Europa League winners strolled past Torino 3-0 in a festive homecom­ing after their stunning triumph over Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin.

Rain and storms have battered northern Italy for most of a soaking wet spring but the sun shone powerfully on the Gewiss Stadium as fans hailed the team that Wednesday swatted aside Leverkusen by the same score in the Europa League final.

Fresh from winning their first ever European trophy — their first major honour of any sort since 1963 — and having already qualified for the Champions League, Atalanta could have been forgiven for going through the motions in a party atmosphere.

But instead Gian Piero Gasperini’s side thumped Torino to move up to fourth on 69 points and give themselves a chance to equal their best ever finish of third by winning next weekend’s game in hand with Fiorentina.

Atalanta’s loud home support chanted “we’re the champions of Europe!” at the end of a typically swashbuckling performance against sorry Torino, after which the team paraded the Europa League trophy on the pitch to further chants of “thank you, lads”.

Gasperini’s future has been the hot topic in Bergamo, with persistent rumours of talks with Napoli, who finished their dismal campaign as defending champions with a goalless draw with Lecce.

The 66-year-old, who has been in charge since 2016, had described Napoli as a beautiful woman tempting him away from his wife, but after Sunday’s win he confirmed that he would remain faithful.

“After eight years you can get to the stage when you feel some tiredness and think that maybe next year is the time to make a change,” said Gasperini to DAZN. “It’s normal that both sides take time to think about these things. But we’re going to continue together and we’re all happy about it.”

Wednesday night’s hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman was again on target, sweeping home the hosts’ second just before half-time after in-form striker Gianluca Scamacca celebrated his Italy call-up with a beautiful finish midway through the first half.

Mario Pasalic added a third from the penalty spot in the 71st minute but Atalanta could have run out even heavier winners as they had three goals chalked off, one for a very soft-looking Scamacca foul.

Napoli lost their slim chances to participate in European competitions next season when they were held at home by Lecce.

Last season’s champions Napoli finished 10th on 53 points, level with ninth-placed Torino who can still earn a Europa Conference League playoffs spot if eighth-placed Fiorentina win the Europa Conference League.

Fiorentina face Greece’s Olympiacos for the title on Wednesday.

FROSINONE RELEGATED

Frosinone were relegated after they lost 1-0 at home to Udinese and Empoli scored a stoppage-time winner through M’Baye Niang to prevail 2-1 against visiting AS Roma.

Relegation-threatened Udinese beat Frosinone with a late Keinan Davis goal, sealing their opponents’ fate, as Empoli maintained their top-flight status thanks to halftime substitute Niang with their fans pouring onto the pitch at the end.

Roma’s Houssem Aouar had cancelled out Matteo Cancellieri’s goal for Empoli that had given the hosts a 13th minute lead.

But Niang’s last-gasp strike saw Empoli remain in the top flight for three seasons in a row for the first time.

Roma, meanwhile, finished sixth on 63 points and will play in the Europa League next season alongside seventh-placed Lazio, who drew 1-1 at home to Sassuolo and end on 61.

Distraught Frosinone finished a point behind Empoli and joined bottom side Salernitana and Sassuolo in Serie B.

Champions Inter Milan drew 2-2 in a lively encounter at Hellas Verona in their final game of the season thanks to a Marko Arnautovic double.

The Austrian gave Inter an early lead but Verona challenged Simone Inzaghi’s team from the start.

Tijjani Noslin levelled in the 16th minute after being perfectly set up with a cross inside the box by Tomas Suslov, who put the home side in front himself before Arnautovic equalised in first-half stoppage time from close range.

Inter’s Alexis Sanchez thought he had scored a stoppage-time winner when he lobbed goalkeeper Simone Perilli but his effort was ruled out for an offside.

Inter finished on 94 points, 19 above second-placed AC Milan, with Juventus third on 71.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2024