Legionnaires of the national team of Ukraine in the first part of the club season-2019/2020. Ruslan Malinowski

23.12.2019 15:00

Transition in the summer of 2019 midfielder of the national team of Ukraine Ruslan Malinovskyi from the Belgian "Genk" to the Italian "Atalanta" immediately made it clear that the player will face the difficult task of quickly adapting to new conditions.

With all due respect to the Belgian championship, no one will argue that the Italian Serie A is a few steps higher - especially in terms of competition and rivals. In addition, it was in the first part of the 2019/2020 season that Malinowski's team had to write a new page in the history of the club - to start in the Champions League.

Bergamo head coach Gian Piero Gasperini said immediately after Ruslan's transfer that he was counting on the Ukrainian as a key player here and now. Pre-season matches only confirmed the words of the coach. However, given the already mentioned process of adaptation, Gasperini was in no hurry to throw the newcomer into a whirlpool of events, gradually increasing the psychological and physical load. In most matches, the specialist used Malinowski as a central attacking midfielder, demanding creativity from him at the opponent's goal.

The experience of playing abroad, the trust of the coach, as well as the natural confidence and efficiency of the Ukrainian began to bear fruit closer to the end of October 2019.

For the New Year and Christmas holidays, Atalanta took fifth place in the Serie A standings, four points behind the so-called Champions League zone. By the way, Bergamo's debut campaign in the Champions League is still going well: the team made it to the 1/8 finals, where will come together with the Spanish "Valencia".

2020 Atalanta will start on January 5 with a home match against Parma in the 18th round of the Italian championship.