Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini enjoyed a couple of digs at rivals as he celebrated winning the Europa League last night.

The first target for the veteran coach was former club Inter Milan.

Gasperini said, “This club has always grown in results and has always done so while maintaining balance in the accounts, and I think it is extraordinary. Usually in Italy whoever wins, and we’ve seen it in recent days, struggles to maintain the costs. Atalanta has managed to combine the two things, I think it’s extraordinary.”

Gasperini also sent a jab at the former president of Juventus, Andrea Agnelli, who at the time of the Super League had spoken of Atalanta as: “Without international history and with a great sporting performance they had direct access to the top European club competition…”

Gasperini continued: “Proud? Very much, for all of Italy because it was a haunted cup: in 25 years only Inter and Roma had reached the final.

“It means how competitive this cup was: having won it with Atalanta it’s one of those fairy tales that come along every now and then, it’s something that gives confidence not only to the Super League, to the big teams, to money. Everyone can achieve certain results.”