MOSCOW, March 11 Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini said that Russian midfielder Alexei Miranchuk and Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovsky are friends, despite the situation between their countries. On Thursday, Atalanta beat the German Bayer (3:2) in the first match of the 1/8 finals of the Europa League. Malinovsky scored the ball and gave two assists, Miranchuk came on as a substitute in the 77th minute and did not score with effective actions. «Personally, the situation in Ukraine shocked me more than the coronavirus. It's touching what Ruslan does, what he lives and does. Malinovsky is close to Miranchuk, they have an extraordinary friendship. Alexey is a little embarrassed by this situation, and he deserves the same respect, because people are more important than flags and borders, «Gasperini is quoted by Sky Sports Italia.
