Euphoria in Bergamo as Atalanta pull off Champions League 'miracle'

Atalanta returned home to a heroes' welcome with 2,000 fans braving bitter cold in the Alps in northern Italy after the Bergamo team reached the Champions League last 16 in their debut campaign despite losing their first three matches.

Coach Gian Piero Gasperini hailed a "victory for Italian football" after joining Serie A rivals Juventus and Napoli in the knockout rounds, with Inter Milan the only absentee after losing 2-1 to Barcelona at the San Siro on Tuesday.

The team greeted fans on board an open-top bus at Bergamo airport in the early hours of Thursday morning, amid fireworks, singing and banners, following what the Italian press hailed a "miracle" comeback.

"Historical Atalanta," headlined Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Dea (Goddess, the team's nickname) are in paradise," wrote Turin daily Tuttosport.

"Gasperini is a Magician," continued Corriere dello Sport on their front page.

Atalanta, a club with a 112-year history, had to wait until their fourth group game to earn their first point in a draw against Manchester City, before sealing their berth with a 3-0 win away to Shakhtar Donetsk.

"It's a victory for Bergamo, for all of Atalanta, from the fans to the management to the players and the staff," said Gasperini.

Atalanta, whose only major title was an Italian Cup in 1963, were relegated from Serie A in 2003, 2005 and 2010.

Gasperini took over in 2016 after leaving Genoa, and guided them to third last season to reach the Champions League for the first time.

"To see Atalanta like this, after the difficult years it had 10 years ago ... among the best 16 teams in Europe, how can one not feel joy?" said Atalanta fan Andrea Magioni on the streets of the city.

- 'Gift to city of Bergamo' -
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Chiara Nosari added: "We were eating out, and the whole restaurant went mad, the second half was extraordinary ... it was a unique feeling."
"We started to believe with the draw against Manchester City, we improved in every area."
"Maybe some prefer Paris Saint-Germain for the Moulin Rouge: for sure we hope to take our fans to a beautiful city for the away game."