On 13 May 2017, Atalanta secured a place among the top six teams in Serie A with a 1–1 home draw against Milan, which guaranteed qualification for UEFA competitions after 26 years of absence. A 1–0 away win against Empoli in the next round guaranteed a finish among the top five, and therefore at least a place in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. Thanks to a win on the final matchday, as well as Crotone defeating Lazio, Atalanta finished fourth in Serie A, besting its previous record of fifth in 1948. The club also bested its records of total points in Serie A (72) and total victories in Serie A (21). As a result of Atalanta's success this season, many of its players were called up to their national teams. Kessié was already a starter for Ivory Coast, while his teammates were previously uncapped: wing-back Leonardo Spinazzola and striker Andrea Petagna made their debuts for Italy; midfielder Remo Freuler for Switzerland; and forward Alejandro (Papu) Gómez (who scored 16 goals for Atalanta in 2016–17) for Argentina.