Why Atalanta’s Champions League run shows Tottenham what is possible

Tottenham Hotspur fans now have a reason to dream again, as their Europa League triumph has booked them a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League, but what does history say about their chances in this new and unfamiliar format?

Tottenham Hotspur are set to feature in this season’s UEFA Champions League thanks to their historic night in Bilbao, Spain, when they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final.

A lot has been said about whether or not the winners of the Europa League deserve a spot in the Champions League, with Arsene Wenger firmly against the notion, with the former Arsenal manager stating that the winners of the Europa League should not be given a UCL spot.

However, Tottenham would not be losing sleep over such a take, as they are now back amongst the big boys following their recent triumph, and will feature in the Champions League for the first time since the 2022/23 season.

But what can Tottenham fans expect from their side come this next season? We will be analysing how last season’s Europa League winners got along in the new format of the Champions League.

Atalanta’s Champions League run shows Tottenham what is possible

During the 23/24 campaign, the Europa League winners were Atalanta, who beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the final to win the competition.

However, it is important to note that the Italian side would have still earned a spot in the UEFA Champions League even if they had lost, as they finished fourth in Serie A.

Following their historic win, Atalanta went into last season’s UEFA Champions League group phase as champions of Europe.

Interestingly, the Italian side managed to fare better than many expected, finishing in ninth place in the league table, narrowly missing out on automatic qualification to the knockout stage.

In the group phase, the then Europa League winners played sides like Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona. They drew two of those games, with their only defeat coming at the hands of Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Nonetheless, they still had relatively winnable matches on paper, as they faced the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic, Stuttgart, Young Boys and Sturm Graz – fixtures they ultimately won, barring a 0-0 draw against Celtic.

Atalanta did make it to the round of 16 playoffs, but their European journey ended following a defeat to Club Brugge, who finished 24th in the League phase.

Spurs face a different reality compared to Atalanta

Given how well Atalanta performed in the league phase, Tottenham Hotspur fans have every right to be optimistic as they go into the UEFA Champions League in this new format for the first time.

Of course, last season’s Europa League had the same format, which means Tottenham have some experience on how to navigate this new format.

Still, in comparison to Atalanta, who managed a top-four finish in Italy the same season they won the Europa League, Spurs fans might not be overly confident as their team comes into the UCL off the back of a disastrous Premier League campaign that saw them finish in 17th place.

It is no news that an injury crisis played a big role in the Lilywhites’ slump in the league last term, and if they are to compete at the highest level this season, they would need their best players available for both UEFA Champions League and Premier League matches.

The summer window is currently open, which means Thomas Frank can now strengthen his squad. However, Tottenham have not added any new players to their ranks, having only completed the permanent signings of their previous loan players.

If Spurs are to go into next season’s UEFA Champions League with this current squad, it would be difficult to see how they manage both domestic and continental commitments, and a finish worse than that of Atalanta or similar to the Serie A side could very much be expected.

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