Gasperini: Koopmeiners is blackmailing us! He refuses to train, has already agreed with Juventus

Three years ago, Teun Koopmeiners joined Atalanta, gradually becoming one of the team’s best players and its leader, but this summer he felt he had outgrown the club and that it was time to part ways with the Goddess. However, it seems this parting will be anything but pleasant.

For several weeks, the Italian media have been reporting daily on the potential transfer of the Dutch midfielder to Juventus. However, the negotiations have not gone smoothly, and the deal has yet to be finalized. So, the 26-year-old midfielder decided to take matters into his own hands and speed up the process, albeit in a very ugly manner.

Several Italian media outlets reported yesterday that Gian Piero Gasperini, after a heated argument, kicked Koopmeiners out of training. The 66-year-old coach decided to come forward and explain the situation.

"The situation with Koopmeiners was very good until last week, and then the player decided to go to Juventus. He already has an agreement, feels stressed, and decided not to play or train with us anymore," Gasperini revealed to L'Eco di Bergamo.

The Atalanta coach is quite disappointed with how things have developed and sees Koopmeiners' behavior as a form of blackmail to get Bergamo to let him go to Juventus.

"With such an attitude, he's of no use to us. In return, the club has taken a firm stance because it feels blackmailed. This is very different from previous situations where Atalanta sold some important players."

Although they are aware that he is of no use to them in this state, Atalanta’s leaders will not let him go at any cost. In fact, the price is quite high. This year's Europa League winner is asking Juventus for €60,000,000 for Koopmeiners, which would be the second-largest sale in the club's history.

The Dutchman arrived at Atalanta from AZ Alkmaar for €14,000,000, and over the past three seasons, he has played 129 matches, scoring 29 goals and providing 15 assists.