GASPERINI'S MASTERCLASS TACTIC 3-4-2-1 WON SERIE A WITH ATALANTA

Hi guys,
this time I bring you my emulation of Giampiero Gasperini's 3-4-2-1 tactic, one of the tactics he used this season. During UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE final match against Bayer Leverkusen he used this 3-4-2-1. He often alternated this tactic with a 3-4-1-2.
As always, when I test a new tactic, I do not make any player transfers, I block the first transfer session (Summer 2023) and reject all offers during the second (January 2024) so the players are the same at the beginning and at the end of the test. I played all matches by myself, won Serie A with the 2nd best attack (83 goals scored 2 goals less than Napoli, 85) and the best defense (only 30 goals allowed), and 93 points (29 win, 6 draw, 3 lost) in 38 games.
So, let's first analyze Gasperini's tactics and then how I emulated it in Football Manager 2024.

 

GIAMPIERO GASPERINI'S ATALANTA SEASON 2023-2024 3-4-2-1 TACTIC

Gian Piero Gasperini: Career and Success of Atalanta's Coach

For several years, Atalanta has become somewhat of an anomaly in our league: it doesn’t have a long-standing victorious tradition like Juventus, Milan, or Inter, nor a history of legendary players like Roma or Lazio. It has yet to fulfill the dream of breaking the dominance of the big three as Napoli did. Yet, it’s the team no one wants to face.

Atalanta has managed to climb the Serie A rankings, transforming from a mid-table provincial team into one capable of reaching the top eight in Europe and facing off against the more prestigious Paris Saint-Germain without fear. The team does this by playing an intense and aggressive style of football, yet one that is meticulously tactical and prepared.

Behind all of this is one man, the sharp but relentless coach now heading into his eighth consecutive season on the Bergamo bench: Gian Piero Gasperini.

Gian Piero Gasperini: A Biographical Overview

Gian Piero Gasperini was born in 1958 in Grugliasco, a city of about 36,000 people located 5 km from Turin. He grew up in the N.A.G.C., Juventus’s former youth academy, and worked his way up through the ranks until making his first-team debut. His professional playing career saw him wear several jerseys, including those of Palermo from 1978 to 1983 and Pescara from 1985 to 1990. In 1993, after spending two years with Vis Pesaro, he retired as a player and began his coaching career with Juventus’s youth teams, the club that had launched him into the football world.

Gian Piero Gasperini: Beyond Football

Gian Piero Gasperini has been married to his wife Cristina since 1980, and they have two sons, Davide and Andrea, both of whom live in Turin and are not involved in football. The coach remains deeply connected to his hometown, Grugliasco, and returns whenever possible to maintain old friendships and visit family. He also feels a strong bond with Bergamo, where he lives and works. In 2019, for his connection to the city and his achievements with Atalanta, he was awarded honorary citizenship.

A few fun facts about the coach: he is passionate about the mountains and is reportedly an excellent skier. Alongside his coaching career, he has also worked as a sports commentator during the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championships.

Teams Coached by Gasperini

Before arriving at Atalanta, which he has coached since 2016, Gian Piero Gasperini had a long journey. After nine years with Juventus’s youth teams, he moved to Crotone, where he coached in the 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 seasons, and then to Genoa. It was here that he began to gain recognition as a dynamic and intense coach, leading the team to Serie A in his first year and even securing a Europa League spot in the 2008-2009 season.

In the summer of 2011, he signed a two-year contract with Inter, an experience that would prove disastrous for the coach. Dissatisfied with the club’s transfer market, he was sacked after the third matchday. After stints at Palermo and a return to Genoa, he joined Atalanta in 2016, where he would rise to national and international fame, winning the Panchina d’Oro (Golden Bench) award twice and leading the Bergamaschi to three consecutive third-place finishes in Serie A.

Gasperini's Tactical Principles

Why is Gian Piero Gasperini considered such an unusual and distinctive coach? To understand, one must look closely at his tactical principles, which have made almost every team he has coached competitive. His key elements include a 3-4-3 formation, which has allowed him to develop a new generation of wing-backs who relentlessly push forward, taking advantage of spaces created by the "midfield diamond," and ensuring they are not confined near the defensive line.

Another hallmark of Gasperini's style is man-to-man defense, which relies heavily on physicality and allows defenders to aggressively mark their opponents without worrying excessively about the space left behind.

A final but crucial aspect of Gasperini’s coaching is top-level physical preparation. His teams, especially Atalanta, demand players capable of high physical exertion, necessary to compete against teams often possessing superior technical talent.

Gasperini and His Disciples

Gian Piero Gasperini’s importance in Italian football is also evident through the presence of several of his "disciples" in Serie A—coaches who were his collaborators or former players and who have adopted his complex tactical principles with varying degrees of success in their own careers. The most famous are Ivan Jurić, currently managing Torino, and Thiago Motta, who is shaping Bologna into a tough and competitive team.

Then there’s Raffaele Palladino, who in his first managerial role led newly promoted Monza through an extraordinary season. Other well-known names among football fans include Igor Tudor, who has coached teams like Verona, Udinese, and Marseille, earning a reputation as a gruff but reliable manager, and Stefano Bocchetti, who served as interim coach and then assistant at Hellas Verona last year.

Even in the lower leagues, you can find “adepts,” if you will, of Gian Piero Gasperini. For instance, Paolo Cuneo, Gasperini’s assistant at Genoa and Inter, and Francesco Modesto, who after his last stints at Crotone and Vicenza, was called to coach Atalanta’s Under-23 team. And it’s certainly no coincidence.

Tactical Analysis: Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta 2023-2024

The team primarily lines up in a 3-4-3 formation, with wide midfielders, such as Ruggeri and Zappacosta, ready to drop back into the defensive line, effectively creating a five-man defense when needed.

Defensive Setup: Atalanta's back three operate with a man-marking system, preventing opposing forwards from turning towards goal, while maintaining a relatively high defensive line.

In Possession: Atalanta prefers to build from the back, avoiding long balls even under pressure. They spread the play to the wings, capitalizing on the width of the pitch, which is one of their key strengths. Their counters are quick, immediately seeking to exploit depth with long runs.

Building from the Back: The team consistently builds play from deep, rarely opting for long balls. Despite the risks involved, they maintain good ball control, often moving it to the flanks, the safer areas of the pitch in case of possession loss. The two wide defenders spread out significantly, allowing the center-backs to advance.

Development: Atalanta displays excellent width, with defenders confidently carrying the ball forward when possible. Djimsiti, in particular, often abandons his defensive role to act as a deep-lying playmaker, adding an extra man to the midfield and allowing the goalkeeper to actively participate in possession. They excel at drawing opponents to one side before executing sudden switches to the opposite flank, where players like Lookman, who stay wide, can then drive towards goal.

Wing Play: Atalanta uses the full width of the pitch, emphasizing the flanks. Scalvini (right) and Kolasinac (left) push forward when space allows, increasing the number of attackers in the offensive zone. They are especially adept at creating numerical superiority on the flanks, particularly on the left, with Lookman being a key player in 1v1 situations, supported by Ruggeri, who frequently reaches the byline.

Final Third and Finishing: Lookman and Koopmeiners are crucial in the final third, with Lookman’s speed and Koopmeiners’ powerful shooting from outside the box being key threats. Most of Atalanta’s danger comes from the flanks, where overlaps and 1v1s, particularly involving Lookman, are frequent. Their attack is calculated, not random, with multiple players flooding the box when the wide players break through. De Ketelaere, although not a traditional center forward, likes to drop deep to receive the ball, facilitating combinations with the wide forwards. His movement also draws defenders, creating space for others to exploit.

Out of Possession: The first line of defense comes from the most advanced player, often the striker, who pressures the ball carrier. The wide forwards then quickly close down the full-backs, forcing the opposition to resort to long balls.

Midfield Analysis: Midfielders follow a man-marking system, pressing any opponent in their zone aggressively, often leaving them vulnerable if they lose their individual duels, as this can expose their defensive line.

Defensive Line: The three central defenders stay compact, narrowing their shape to stay close to their markers. The wide midfielders drop back to form a near five-man defense, assisted by the wide forwards, who track back diligently. They often leave the far-side winger unmarked if deemed not a threat, focusing on the ball side.

How to emulate this tactic in Football Manager 2024

To emulate Gian Piero Gasperini's tactics from Atalanta 2023-2024 in Football Manager 2024, start by setting up a 3-4-2-1 formation with a Positive mentality. This approach allows your team to control possession, be proactive, and dictate the tempo of the game.

In Possession:

Attacking Width: Set a Fairly Wide width to stretch the opposition defense, giving your wing-backs space to advance.

Passing: Select Pass Into Space to encourage vertical, direct play that exploits gaps in the opponent's defense. Pair this with Play Out of Defense to ensure your team builds from the back, reflecting Gasperini’s preference for avoiding long balls.

Overlaps & Focus: Set Overlap Left and Right to have your wing-backs bomb forward to the byline, creating width and crossing opportunities. Focus play down both flanks, where your wing-backs will be most effective.

Tempo & Passing Style: Opt for a Slightly Higher Tempo (or Higher for more aggression) and Slightly Shorter Passes to maintain a quick, yet controlled, ball circulation.

Crossing: Use Low Crosses and Work Ball Into Box to mirror Atalanta's patient build-up play, looking for precise opportunities rather than crossing early.

In Transition:

Pressing & Counter-Attack: Set Counter-Press to win the ball back immediately after losing possession, a hallmark of Gasperini's style. Use Counter to launch quick attacks once possession is regained.

Distribution: Instruct your goalkeeper to Roll It Out to the central defenders, ensuring that your team plays out from the back rather than resorting to long clearances.

Out of Possession:

Defensive Line: Employ a Higher Defensive Line with a High Pressing Line and Press More Often to keep constant pressure on the opposition.

Offside Trap & Trapping: Use Step Up More to apply the offside trap and Trap Outside to force opponents to play near the touchline, where they have less space and options.

Player Roles & Instructions:

Defense:

Goalkeeper: Set as a Sweeper Keeper (Defend) to act as an additional outfield player, sweeping up loose balls and distributing quickly.

Wide Center-Backs: Assign Close Down More to press aggressively.

Libero (Support): Instruct to Dribble More to carry the ball forward and initiate play from the back.

Midfield:

Wing-Backs (Attack): Set to Cross More Often, Stay Wider, Cross Aiming Far Post, and Close Down More to maintain width and deliver dangerous crosses.

Volante (Support): Instruct to Get Further Forward and Move Into Channels to support the attack and exploit spaces.

Defensive Midfielder (Defend): Tasked with dropping deeper to shield the defense and distribute from deep.

Attack:

Advanced Playmaker (Support): Instruct to Roam From Position to find pockets of space for passing or shooting.

Attacking Midfielder (Attack): Also instructed to Roam From Position and Move Into Channels to break lines and create opportunities.

Advanced Forward (Attack): Instruct to Tackle Harder to lead the pressing from the front, harassing defenders into mistakes.

This setup should closely mirror Gasperini's dynamic and aggressive Atalanta side, allowing you to control possession, exploit wide areas, and maintain relentless pressure on the opposition.

As you can see from the screenshot, I won the Italian serie A