People in Italy have been hugely affected by the recent outbreak of Coronavirus as the country extended immediate preventive measures which include travel restrictions and ban on public gatherings. Due to this, all the major sporting events in Italy have been postponed until April 3, 2020, including the top footballing competition Serie A. However, Atalanta travelled to Valencia for their Champions League Round of 16 clash and came out as 4-3 winners on the night and dedicated the win to the people of Bergamo with a special message. Valencia 3–4 Atalanta, UEFA Champions League 2019–20: Josip Ilicic Scores Four As Italians Advance to Quarter-Finals for First Time.

‘Bergamo, in this difficult time this is for you!’ read the banner held by the Italian club after their win over the Spanish giants. This was a historic win for the team from the Lombardy region in northern Italy as in their first-ever campaign in the Champions League they secured a place in the Quarter Finals of the tournament. Coronavirus Outbreak in Italy: Italian Serie A 2019-20 Suspended, PM Giuseppe Conte Announces Suspension of All Sports Events Due to COVID-19 Epidemic.

The Flags Will Return

Bergamo, This is for You

Gian Piero Gasperini’s men were too good for Valencia over the two legs as they won the tie on an 8-4 aggregate. Josip Ilicic was the star of the game as the 32-year-old netted four times in the clash to become only the fourth player in the history of the tournament to score four goals in the knock-out stages of the competition.

‘We know that many people followed us at home, who cannot go out to celebrate’ said Atalanta’s manager Gian Gasperini after the win. ‘This is for the people of Bergamo. We have also received many messages from the director of the Bergamo hospital’ he further added.

Atalanta are a club based in Bergamo, Lombardy and it is one of the territories that is suffering hugely from the outbreak. Italy have reported more than 9,000 cases of Coronavirus as it remains the worst-affected country after China, where the virus originated.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 11, 2020 09:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).