Players raise their voices against Gasperini the Dictator

Playing for Atalanta resembles being in the army, according to Danish wing-back Joakim Maehle. The guy who ended his two-and-a-half-year stint in Bergamo a couple of months ago painted an unfavourable picture of his former coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

Speaking to the press in his native Denmark, Maehle described Gasperini as a dictator who bases his authority on fear. Now a Wolfsburg player, the Danish international said that Gasperini was the main reason he felt leaving Atalanta was the best.

"I needed a new challenge at this moment in my career. I wanted to play for a team where I could have a different role from the one I had at Atalanta, where you always risk being on the bench. At Wolfsburg, you feel like part of a team and the dressing room has more unity and good humour. It's what I've been looking for for a while. I'm happy to have arrived in a team where you feel that everything is under control."

Gasperini's methods are too rigid for players to feel comfortable at La Dea.

"We always trained in the afternoon. The coach had decided so and there really wasn't any freedom. Even if we lived in nice places and the weather was fair, we didn't have time to enjoy it. We spent so many days and hours at the sports centre."

When the reporter asked if Gasperini was a dictator, Maehle was quick to agree.

"Gasperini's almost dictatorial approach? You said that right. I didn't want to say it before because I feared you would misquote me. But yes. That was how he decided everything. If, for example, we had a double trainin session in two successive days, we had to sleep in the facility for the night. We weren't allowed to go home then. Was it fear-based management? Yes, a bit. You can call it bad management, or whatever it is. I don't know. At least I prepared myself for the later experiences of my career."

Maehle was teammates with his compatriot Rasmus Hojlund for a year, now at Manchester United. And the former Genk player was annoyed he wasn't allowed to drive Hojlund to training.

"You don't feel like a person, you feel like a number. You have no relationship with the coach. It can torment someone for strange things. For example, Hojlund and I used to go to practice together. But Gasperini didn't want us to drive together. Because then we could sit, chat while going to practice, and have fun. He didn't want that, so he reprimanded me. Even though the club had told me that I could bring Rasmus to training because they didn't have a driver for him. I don't know if this is typical of Italians, but these are just some things that in the long run make you angry and tired."

Maehle isn't alone in disliking Gasperini's methods. As soon as his interview was published on Twitter, another former Atalanta player agreed. Defender Merih Demiral, now playing for Al-Ahli, replied to GOAL Italia's tweet with a simple "Everything is true". He then tweeted that he would tell everything in a forthcoming interview.

Gian Piero Gasperini became La Dea boss in 2016. Under his guidance, the black-and-blues became one of Italy's top teams, known for their high-scoring and attractive football. The club consistently secured UEFA Champions League qualifications and reached the quarter-finals in 2020. He has a history of poor relationships with his players. For example, Argentinean international Papu Gomez left the club after a big bust-up with Gasperini despite being one of the team's key players. You clearly cannot say no to Gasperini - and players quickly get tired of it.