the season of the Atalanta it’s not being easy. The Bergamasco ensemble has become one of the most competitive teams in Italy in recent years and the requirement has risen according to its category. They are fifth in Serie A and they are three points away from the Champions positions, but eliminated from the Champions League itself in the group stage and the Coppa Italia. In the Europe League will be measured at Bayer Leverkusen in eighths. Yesterday they beat Sampdoria 4-0 with a name of their own that continues to stand out above the rest: Teun Koopmeiners.
The footballer born in Castricum, in the province of North Holland, he scored a double, he was the best of his team and closed a month of February that has consolidated him as the Atalanta engine. He has disputed the four full games this month in Serie Ahas acted as a second striker in attack against casualties and has been uncovered as a total midfielder: Two goals and two assists in the last six games. Against Sampdoria, in addition to the two goals, generated two other chances and completed three dribbles
However, the influence of Teun Koopmeiners at Atalanta he goes far beyond his goalscoring figures. After very long negotiations, the Dutchman landed in Bergamo last summer in exchange for 14 million euros plus variables. The signing of him was disputed by several great Italians, but he ended up deciding on the Thank you for your ambitious project. His first months were not easy and he went through the (almost) inevitable period of adaptation of foreigners to calciumbut you have already earned the trust of Gasperini and he is one of the team leaders. He has played 81% of the minutes since December and he has only been a substitute in three of the last 16 games.
The total midfielder of the Dea
Above all, Koopmeiners stands out for being a very versatile footballer. Its characteristics and tactical intelligence lThey allow you to play in all midfield positions and even as a center backsomething that he has not done in Atalanta but he did in the A-Z Alkmaarhis former club. Teun is a dynamic midfielder, physically very complete and impressive, technically skillful, with very good handling of the ball and with a nose for goal in the final meters. For all these reasons, Gasperini has used him, with great performance, in all midfield positions.
He started betting on him as pivot in the classic 3-4-1-2 atalantinobut in the last meetings He has been acting as a midfielder. Even a good time before the Fiorentina and the Sampdoria he was seen as the most advanced man in the team. That position has been conditioned by the losses in the offensive plot (Zapata, Ilicic and now Muriel), but it has been where he has given the team the most performance in terms of offensive production. His resolution capacity in the last third of the field (18 dribbles and 13 shots in the last two months in Serie A) have made him a differential for his team.
“He is a young player, but with a lot of personality. He will be the leader of Atalanta in the future”
Gian PieroGasperini
To all this we must add his capabilities and outstanding work in the defensive aspect. Average 5.5 recoveries per gameHe has completed 31 tackles in the 20 games he has played in Serie A and has recovered 79 balls in less than 5 seconds after starting the pressure on the rival. He is the fourth player who has done it the most in the competition.
Gasperini already highlighted his personality when he had barely been at the club for two months: “He is a young player, but with a lot of personality. He will be a leader for Atalanta in the future, but even now he is already a very important player for us.” Koopmeiners has landed on his feet in the Dea and he’s starting to show himself as a leader, just like he did at AZ Alkmaar of which he was already captain at the age of 21. Now, with three more, he is called to do great things in Serie A.