Fresh wind that tastes of the sea and has the air of a company: only this will taste of Lisbon the 26 players of Atalanta, barricaded under very close surveillance in their vertical luxury hotel, 7 minutes from the Estàdio da Luz and the same number from the airport.
The suffocating humidity that sticks to the people of Bergamo ‘de hura e de hota ‘ in the middle of August, here it’s just a distant memory, and who knows if the weather will also be decisive tomorrow evening in the dry match against PSG. It sure is atmosphere, celebration and anticipation, which can be breathed from this morning between the Avenida of the Portuguese capital. A city that thrives on fish and football 365 days a year, proud to host the first Final Eight in the history of the Champions League.
If in the stadium of light the stars Neymar and Gomez seem to shine less without the cheers and applause of their fans, it will be a mistake. Because beyond the red skeleton of its plant, the beating heart of Lisbon beats for Atalanta-Psg. About fifty supporters of the Goddess who already ferried their Nerazzurri trolleys last night on the continuous ups and downs of the city of Champions.
The first stop is the old city overlooking the sea, to reach and ask for a miracle from Sant’Antonio, at the top of a staircase that does not scare, but that recalls the European climb of the smallest of the big ones. There are many Italians in Lisbon, on the eve of the most important match in Bergamo history, but some have the recognizable Piedmontese accent: “It’s summer, we had vacation, and we had never seen Lisbon “, they say. The reality is that they didn’t really think a French girl was screwing them like this, and now they seek revenge by cheering on Goddess. Like the many, too many, Portuguese street vendors who, while trying to trim you a leather and rope bracelet, shout “Come on Atalanta, let’s hope Italy passes! ”.
Yes, wherever you move in the city, between millionaire palaces and dilapidated houses one on top of the other, inns and clubs advertise tomorrow’s race, and the brave Atalantines who have come this far are spoiled for choice. IS there are also many people from Bergamo who have a permanent home in Lisbon a few years ago, after the transfer of grandparents and parents, why here you don’t pay your pension taxes or you don’t pay them much (10%).
But the maxi screens between the colorful houses and the murals of the center attract little the Atalantine dreamers, whothey want to breathe deeply against the PSG. This is why they have already decided that tomorrow, from 6pm onwards (here we are an hour behind …), they will orbit around the Benfica stadium, to hear the Champions hymn and the cries of Mr. Gasperini who ordered Zapata to sink Navas.
Unfortunately, the outside of the stadium will also be the destination of some journalists, because after the two coronavirus cases in Atletico Madrid, UEFA has taken a step back and raised the barricades even more: only 9 Italians and 9 French from the press inside the stadium, everyone else out. The team entourage cannot set foot beyond the hotel door, e massive and threatening vigilantes they keep the curious away. Nothing is left to chance, another positive and the castle so laboriously held up would collapse to the ground: the press conference will collect questions electronically, the finishes are armored. Al Pina Manique, training ground reserved for the Goddess, it is useless to go there: a heavy one iron gate bars the entrance and if you get too close to grasp the Papu’s positioning, the guard notices it immediately and orders you to turn around, not so friendly.
But the Atalantines don’t care, they are already happy so today, around Lisbon with a heart pounding and an intact mattress because they don’t talk about sleeping these nights. But they don’t really think about setting limits: it is not enough for them that the Goddess is the only Italian among the top 8, they want her among the top 4. At the cost of fleecing and staying in Lisbon for another week (the semifinal would be on 18 August). Meanwhile they reach Eusébio da Silva Ferreira outside the da Luz to kick his Golden Ball. A selfie that, however it goes, they will insert in the scrapbook, to tell their grandchildren one day about that impossible feat.
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