Ruggeri: ‘Atalanta can dream, we’re in Europa League final’ | OneFootball

Matteo Ruggeri was all smiles after Atalanta’s Europa League semi-final win over Olympique Marseille, feeling la Dea ‘can dream’ of international glory.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side booked their spot in the European final after a difficult 3-1 aggregate win over the Ligue 1 giants, giving them the chance to fight for international glory at the final with the high-flying Bayer Leverkusen at the Aviva Stadium.

Ruggeri proved a key figure for Atalanta in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie with Marseille, scoring the second goal in Bergamo to put the home side in the driving seat of the clash. The talented defender has directly contributed to eight goals across all competitions this term.

Ruggeri and Atalanta joy

Speaking to Sky Sports Italia via TMW after the match, Ruggeri first reacted to the Europa League semi-final win over Marseille.

“We can dream with our eyes open, we are in the final and we must enjoy the moment in front of our fans.”

He spoke about what this victory means as a local boy.

“For me it’s a source of great pride, my parents made many sacrifices for me, I dedicate it to them, they raised me with great respect. The credit is all theirs. From tomorrow we are already thinking about the final and the league. My first goal in Bergamo, a great feeling.”

Ruggeri reflected on Atalanta’s journey in the Europa League.

“A fantastic journey, we started from the group stage and reached the final. We will try to put Bayer Leverkusen in difficulty but we’re not thinking about that now. We will give our best. For now, everything is good, we hope to continue like this, we want to enjoy the final.”

Finally, Ruggeri was asked if he was thinking about joining the Italy squad for Euro 2024.

“It’s a big dream, I have to continue to demonstrate how I’m doing. I want to continue to amaze.”