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Atalanta
Full nameAtalanta Bergamasca
Calcio S.p.A.
Nickname(s)La Dea (The Goddess)
Founded8 October 1907; 116 years ago (1907-10-08)
GroundStadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia
Capacity26,562[1]
PresidentAntonio Percassi
Head CoachGian Piero Gasperini
LeagueSerie A
2023–24Serie A, 4th of 20
WebsiteClub website

Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy. The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained the promotion from Serie B in 2010–11.

They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the Orobici. Atalanta play in blue-and-black vertically striped shirts, black shorts and black socks. The club stadium is the 26,638 seater Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.

In Italy, Atalanta is sometimes called Regina delle provinciali (queen of the provincial clubs) to mark the fact that the club is historically one of the most consistent among clubs not based in a metropolitan area, having played 53 times in Serie A (11th overall for number of participations in the top division), 28 times in Serie B and only once in Serie C1.

The club won the Coppa Italia in 1963 and reached the Cup Winners' Cup semi-final in 1988, when it was still competing in Serie B. This is still the best ever performance by a non-first division club in a major UEFA competition (together with Cardiff City).[2] Atalanta also participated twice in the UEFA Cup, reaching the quarter-finals in 1990–91.

History

The club was founded in 1907. A football club had existed in Bergamo since 1904. Founded by Swiss immigrants, it was known as Foot Ball Club Bergamo. The rival Atalanta club grew out of a division between different sporting societies in the town. The name is taken from the female athlete of Greek mythology. The FIGC was unimpressed with the new club and did not officially recognize them until 1914. The current club is the result of a merger between Atalanta and a third team called Bergamasca. The first, black and white coloured and the second wearing a blue and white shirt, merged in 1924 as Atalanta Bergamasca di Ginnastica e Scherma 1907. The team moved to the site of the current ground, on the Viale Giulio Cesare, in 1928.

Atalanta joined the Italian league in 1929. The club first reached Serie A in 1937, but was relegated immediately. The club returned in 1940 and remained in Serie A until 1959; after a single season in Serie B, the club was promoted and lasted a further decade in Serie A before relegation in 1973 led to an uncertain period of promotion and relegation between the two levels.

The club achieved its highest position in 1948, finishing in fifth place. In 1981, the club fell into Serie C1, a blow which revitalised the club. The team returned to Serie B the next season and made it back to Serie A in 1984. The club's form in Serie A remains uncertain, as it was relegated in 1987, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2005 and 2010. After a change of ownership,[3] in 2011, Atalanta immediately came back to Serie A, where it has been ever since.

In terms of titles the club has won little, their sole silverware is the 1963 Coppa Italia. The club has had a few good runs in Europe, on several occasions being eliminated by the eventual winners.

Welsh club Merthyr Tydfil caused an upset in the 1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup, beating Atalanta 2–1 in the first leg of their first round match at Penydarren Park. After winning the second leg 2–0 in Bergamo, Atalanta went on to reach the semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Mechelen of Belgium, but in the process becoming one of only two teams in the competition's history to reach the penultimate round while playing their football outside of the national top flight league. Oddly enough, the only other team to do so being Merthyr Tydfil's countrymen at Cardiff City.

Atalanta reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in the 1990–91 season, losing to local rivals Internazionale, who went on to beat another Italian side, Roma, in the final to win the tournament. The club never played European club competitions after 1991, although turned down the opportunity to play in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001 after finishing in seventh place in Serie A, regional rivals of Brescia played the tournament instead, losing only in the final against French side Paris Saint-Germain.

In recent years, the club was relegated after the 2002–03, 2004–05 and 2009–10 seasons, but gained the promotion to Serie A after only one season every time.

In 2011–12, Atalanta was docked six points in the league table due to the outcomes of an Italian football scandal. Nevertheless, the club managed to secure another year in Serie A by gaining 52 points in 38 games (which is the club record, to date). The following year, for the same reasons, the club was docked two points in the league but avoided relegation reaching the 15th spot in the final table. In the 2013–14, Atalanta enjoyed another strong campaign, finishing in 11th place.

Atalanta struggled during the 2014–15 season despite some impressive results. At the beginning of the season, manager Stefano Colantuono committed his future to the club. On 4 March 2015, however, he was sacked after a poor run of form which left Atalanta only three points above the relegation zone. He was replaced by Edoardo Reja, who secured the club's status in Serie A for 2015–16, where Atalanta finished 13th.

Players

Current squad

As of 31 January 2017[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Albania ALB Etrit Berisha (on loan from Lazio)
3 DF Brazil BRA Rafael Tolói
4 MF Italy ITA Bryan Cristante (on loan from Benfica)
5 DF Italy ITA Andrea Masiello
6 DF Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Ervin Zukanović (on loan from Roma)
7 MF Italy ITA Marco D'Alessandro
8 MF Italy ITA Giulio Migliaccio
9 FW Serbia SRB Aleksandar Pešić (on loan from Toulouse)
10 MF Argentina ARG Alejandro Gómez
11 MF Switzerland SUI Remo Freuler
13 DF Italy ITA Mattia Caldara (on loan from Juventus)
19 MF Ivory Coast CIV Franck Kessié
24 DF Italy ITA Andrea Conti
25 DF France FRA Abdoulay Konko
27 MF Slovenia SVN Jasmin Kurtić
No. Pos. Nation Player
29 FW Italy ITA Andrea Petagna
31 GK Italy ITA Francesco Rossi
33 DF Netherlands NED Hans Hateboer
37 MF Italy ITA Leonardo Spinazzola (on loan from Juventus)
43 FW Italy ITA Alberto Paloschi
47 GK Italy ITA Stefano Mazzini
52 MF Ecuador ECU Bryan Cabezas
77 MF Italy ITA Cristian Raimondi
87 MF France FRA Anthony Mounier (on loan from Bologna)
88 MF Italy ITA Alberto Grassi (on loan from Napoli)
91 GK Italy ITA Pierluigi Gollini (on loan from Aston Villa)
92 FW Italy ITA Salvatore Molina
93 DF Senegal SEN Boukary Dramé
94 MF Italy ITA Filippo Melegoni
95 DF Italy ITA Alessandro Bastoni

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
23 DF Italy ITA Emanuele Suagher (at Bari)
57 GK Italy ITA Marco Sportiello (at Fiorentina)
— DF Italy ITA Alberto Almici (at Ascoli)
— DF Italy ITA Michele Canini (at Parma)
— DF Italy ITA Stefano Cason (at Trapani)
— DF Italy ITA Matteo Contini (at Ternana)
— DF Albania ALB Berat Djimsiti (at Avellino)
— DF Croatia CRO Anton Krešić (at Trapani)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Albania ALB Isnik Alimi (at Maceratese)
— MF Italy ITA Nadir Minotti (at Pistoiese)
— MF Romania ROU Constantin Nica (at Latina)
— MF Italy ITA Luca Valzania (at Cittadella)
— FW Italy ITA Giuseppe De Luca (at Vicenza)
— FW Italy ITA Leonardo Gatto (at Ascoli)
— FW Italy ITA Guido Marilungo (at Empoli)
— FW Italy ITA Gaetano Monachello (at Ternana)

Youth team

Main article: Atalanta B.C. Primavera

Retired numbers

12 – Dedication to fans, in particularly for Pisani Curve ones
14 – Italy Federico Pisani, Forward (1991–97) – posthumous honour.
80 – Elio Corbani, radio journalist.[5]

Noted players

Youth System

A young Gaetano Scirea, one of the most famous footballers produced by the Atalanta youth system, during the 1972–73 season

The Atalanta youth system consists of four men's teams that participate in separate national leagues (Primavera, Allievi Nazionali A and B, and Giovanissimi Nazionali) and two that participate at a regional level (Giovanissimi Regionali A and B).[6]

The first person who was committed to set up the Atalanta youth teams was Giuseppe Ciatto. Every organisational aspect was dealt with and resolved by him, and he also took care to train the various teams. In 1949 Atalanta won the Campionato Ragazzi.

In the late 1950s former Atalanta player Luigi Tentorio (then Special Commissioner of the club) felt the need to start investing more systematically in youth: he decided to create a real youth sector, with its own independent structure from the first team. The youth sector was entrusted to Giuseppe Brolis, who created a partnership with various clubs in the Veneto and Friuli regions, building a network of scouts and young coaches.

A crucial step in the history of the Bergamo youth sector took place in the early 1990s when the president Antonio Percassi implemented a new investment policy, especially at the youth level. He managed to convince Fermo Favini to leave Como and entrusted him with the responsibility of the youth sector.

The Atalanta youth system not only continued to increase the production of players for the first team, but began to win several honours in the most important national leagues. From 1991 to 2014, the various youth teams have won 17 national titles.

Apart from successes at youth level, the Atalanta youth system is also one of the most highly regarded in Europe: according to a ranking by the study centre in Coverciano, Atalanta have the top youth system in Italy and the sixth in Europe, behind Real Madrid, Barcelona and three French teams. The parameters used were the amount of first division players produced by the club.[7] In the 2007–08 season, 22 players from Atalanta's youth played in Serie A, 32 in Serie B and 3 abroad.[7]

In 2014, a global study of the "CIES Football Observatory", placed the Atalanta youth system eighth place in the world, with 25 former youth players who play in the top 5 European leagues.[8]

Presidential history

Atalanta have had several presidents over the course of their history. Some of them have been the main shareholder of the club, while others have been honorary presidents. The past president is Ivan Ruggeri, who was relieved of his duties after he suffered a stroke in January 2008, being replaced by his son Alessandro[9] that was named President of Atalanta in September 2008. Alessandro's father is unable to manage the team due to the consequences of the stroke.[10] In June 2010, after another relegation in Serie B, Alessandro Ruggeri sold his share of Atalanta to Antonio Percassi, who became the new President of Atalanta.[3]

 
Name Years
Enrico Luchsinger 1920–21
Antonio Gambirasi 1926–28
Pietro Capoferri 1928–30
Antonio Pesenti 1930–32
Emilio Santi 1932–35
Lamberto Sala 1935–38
Nardo Bertoncini 1938–44
Guerino Oprandi 1944–45
Daniele Turani 1945–64
Attilio Vicentini 1964–69
 
Name Years
Giacomo "Mino" Baracchi 1969–70
Achille Bortolotti 1970–74
Enzo Sensi 1974–75
Achille Bortolotti 1975–80
Cesare Bortolotti 1980–90
Achille Bortolotti 1990
Antonio Percassi 1990–94
Ivan Ruggeri 1994–08
Alessandro Ruggeri 2008–10
Antonio Percassi 2010–

Managerial history

Atalanta have had many managers and head coaches throughout their history, below is a chronological list of them from when Serie A was changed into a league format, from 1929–30 onwards.

 
Name Nationality Years
Cesare Lovati Italy 1923–27
Imre Payer Hungary 1927–29
Enrico Tirabassi Italy 1928–29
Luigi Cevenini Italy 1929–30
József Viola Hungary 1930–33
Imre Payer Hungary 1933
Angelo Mattea Italy 1933–35
Imre Payer Hungary 1935–36
Ottavio Barbieri Italy 1936–38
Géza Kertész Hungary 1938–39
Ivo Fiorentini Italy 1939–41
János Nehadoma Hungary 1941–46
Giuseppe Meazza Italy 1946
Luis Monti Italy 1946
Ivo Fiorentini Italy 1946–49
Alberto Citterio
Carlo Carcano 		Italy
Italy 		1949
Giovanni Varglien Italy 1949–51
Denis Charles Neville[11] England 1951–52
Carlo Ceresoli Italy 1952
Luigi Ferrero Italy 1952–54
Francesco Simonetti
Luigi Tentorio 		Italy
Italy 		1954
Luigi Bonizzoni Italy 1954–57
 
Name Nationality Years
Carlo Rigotti Italy 1957–58
Giuseppe Bonomi Italy 1958
Karl Adamek Austria 1958–59
Ferruccio Valcareggi Italy 1959–62
Paolo Tabanelli Italy 1962–63
Carlo Alberto Quario Italy 1963–64
Carlo Ceresoli Italy 1964
Héctor Puricelli Uruguay 1965–66
Stefano Angeleri Italy 1966–67
Paolo Tabanelli Italy 1967–68
Stefano Angeleri Italy 1968–69
Silvano Moro Italy 1969
Carlo Ceresoli Italy 1969
Corrado Viciani Italy 1969–70
Renato Gei Italy 1970
Giovan Battista Rota Italy 1970
Giulio Corsini Italy 1970–74
Heriberto Herrera Udrizar Paraguay 1974–75
Angelo Piccioli Italy 1975
Giancarlo Cadè Italy 1975–76
Gianfranco Leoncini Italy 1976
Giovan Battista Rota Italy 1976–80
Bruno Bolchi Italy 1980–81
Giulio Corsini Italy 1981
 
Name Nationality Years
Ottavio Bianchi Italy 1981 – 30 June 1983
Nedo Sonetti Italy 1 July 1983 – 30 June 1987
Emiliano Mondonico Italy 1 July 1987 – 30 June 1990
Pierluigi Frosio Italy 1990–91
Bruno Giorgi Italy 1991–92
Marcello Lippi Italy 1 July 1992 – 30 June 1993
Francesco Guidolin Italy 1 July 1993 – Sept 30, 1993
Andrea Valdinoci
Cesare Prandelli 		Italy
Italy 		1 Nov 1993 – 30 June 1994
Emiliano Mondonico Italy 1 July 1994 – 30 June 1998
Bortolo Mutti Italy 1 July 1998 – 30 June 1999
Giovanni Vavassori Italy 1 July 1999 – 30 Nov 2002
Giancarlo Finardi Italy 1 Dec 2002 – 30 June 2003
Andrea Mandorlini Italy 1 July 2003–05
Delio Rossi Italy 6 Dec 2004 – 30 June 2005
Stefano Colantuono Italy 1 July 2005 – 30 June 2007
Luigi Delneri Italy 1 July 2007 – 30 June 2009
Angelo Gregucci Italy 1 July 2009 – Sept 21, 2009
Antonio Conte Italy Sept 21, 2009 – 7 Jan 2010
Valter Bonacina (interim) Italy 7 Jan 2010 – 10 Jan 2010
Bortolo Mutti Italy 11 Jan 2010 – 10 June 2010
Stefano Colantuono Italy 14 June 2010 – 4 March 2015
Edoardo Reja Italy 4 March 2015 – 14 June 2016
Gian Piero Gasperini Italy 14 June 2016 –

Supporters

Atalanta's supporters are considered very loyal. When Atalanta plays at the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, the supporters in the Curva Nord (North Curve) encourage the team with their chants during the entire match.

The biggest rivalry is with the neighbouring supporters of Brescia,[12] and there are strong rivalries also with supporters of Verona, Genoa, Fiorentina, Roma,[13] Lazio, Napoli, Milan, Internazionale, Torino; while there has been a long-standing friendship with Ternana, fans of the German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt, fans of the Austrian club Wacker Innsbruck and the Silver Tassie boys.

On special occasions, Atalanta supporters display a very large black and blue flag called Bandierù which covers the whole Curva Nord stand.

Honours

Winners (1): 1962–63
Winners (6) – shared record: 1927–28, 1939–40, 1958–59, 1983–84, 2005–06, 2010–11
Winners (1): 1981–82

References

  1. ^ "Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia - Atalanta - Bergamo". The Stadium Guide. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  2. ^ Cardiff City
  3. ^ a b From Gazzetta dello Sport website
  4. ^ "Team". Atalanta B.C. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  5. ^ "In onore di Elio Corbani l'Atalanta ritira la maglia 80" (in Italian). 14 March 2012. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Settore Giovanile" (in Template:It icon). Atalanta.it. Retrieved 8 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  7. ^ a b "Dal vivaio alla prima squadra, un percorso educativo - CALCIO La lezione al palazzetto dello sport di Stefano Bonaccorso - RovigoOggi.it, quotidiano online di informazioni su Rovigo e provincia. News ed aggiornamenti dal Polesine di cronaca, politica, sport, eventi, cultura". Rovigooggi.it. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  8. ^ Redazione CalcioNews24 (20 June 2014). "Atalanta, fabbrica di talenti: è il miglior settore giovanile d'Italia". Calcio News 24. Retrieved 8 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ News from Yahoo news[dead link]
  10. ^ "Alessandro Ruggeri: «Vi racconto la mia Atalanta» - Sport Bergamo". Eco.bg.it. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  11. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20111008215921/http://www.endtoendstuff.co.uk/main-book.php?element_id=1&chapter_id=130. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2009. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Italy". footballderbies.com.
  13. ^ "Roma V Atalanta a bit of history". asroma.it.
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