Atalanta coach Gasperini says he will not renew contract

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini does not intend to renew his contract with the Serie A club, he said on Saturday, adding that he would still explore the option of extending his current deal until 2026. Gasperini, appointed Atalanta coach in 2016, has turned around the club's fortunes in his nine-year spell, transforming them from a mid-table side to Champions League regulars. Under the 67-year-old, Atalanta won the Europa League trophy last season with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the final. Gasperini is under contract until June 2025 with an option to extend it by a year. Asked if Atalanta, who are third in Serie A with 51 points from 25 matches, could secure qualification for the Champions League this season, Gasperini told reporters: "I have little time to do this, maybe it's the last one. "Rightly so, as has been said there is a beginning and an end, we'll see at the end of the year whether to go for expiry or to stop, certainly there will be no continuity. There will be no further renewal and continuity." Gasperini, who started his coaching career with Juventus' youth team, joined Atalanta after ending a second spell in charge of Genoa. Under Gasperini's guidance, Genoa were promoted to Serie A in 2007 following a 12-year absence from the top flight. He has also had coaching spells with Inter Milan and Palermo.