sports
February 26, 2026
Balkan players in Atalanta saved the face of Italian football in the Champions League
After the elimination of Inter Milan by the 'small' Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt, it seemed that Italian football was very close to a dark page in its history.
TL;DR
- Atalanta is the sole Italian representative in the Champions League Round of 16.
- The team overcame a two-goal deficit from the first leg against Borussia Dortmund.
- Nikola Krstović earned a decisive penalty after a head injury, and Lazar Samardžić converted it.
- This achievement prevented a repeat of the 1987/88 season, where no Italian club reached the knockout phase.
- The comeback is seen as significant for Italian football, especially as Atalanta is not traditionally considered one of Italy's major clubs.
- Experts and journalists described potential elimination of all Italian clubs as a 'debacle' or 'catastrophe'.
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