By Anthony Barbagallo
Atalanta celebrating their 4-1 victory over Valencia in the Champions League Round of 16. SOURCE: UEFA.com
Key points:
- Atalanta’s entertaining style of play has revolutionised Italian football.
- The club from Bergamo secured an impressive third-place finish in Italy’s top-flight this season, and they had an incredible run in their debut Champions League campaign.
- Atalanta’s quarterfinal opponents Paris Saint-Germain spend €36m on wages for star their star player Neymar, that’s the same amount Atalanta pays their entire squad yearly.
There have been many monumental football fairytales over the years, especially when Leicester City conquered the English Premier League back in 2016. But another remarkable story that will go down in Italian football folklore is the 2019-20 season of Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio.
Located in the town of Bergamo, Lombardy, Atalanta is still classified as a provincial club – a football side that’s not based in a large city. Being one of the smaller football sides in Italy’s top-flight and recently finishing an impressive maiden campaign in the Champions League, this achievement is what makes the Atalanta story genuinely incredible.
With one of the lowest wage bills in Serie A, Atalanta has defied the odds by running a unique project. At the centre of the Nerazzurri’s project is coach Gian Piero Gasperini, a tactician that has implemented an attacking style of football that’s pleasant on the eye. The high-pressing and free-flowing style of football has revolutionised Italian football, leaving behind the defensive brand Italian teams have utilised in the past.
Boasting one of the brightest footballing academies in Italy has also paid dividends on and off the pitch for Atalanta – integrating youth in the senior team and making a substantial profit in transfer deals. The club’s scouting team are savvy in signing players at small prices and later converting them into star players by coach Gasperini.
After qualifying for the 2019-20 Champions League for the first time in their 113-year history, many football pundits and viewers wouldn’t have expected this minnow side to take Europe’s elite competition by storm. They may have lost all their first three games in the group stage, but the team also nicknamed La Dea (The Goddess), never stopped believing in the product they produced on the pitch according to Atalanta fan and page admin for Atalanta Passione US, Nick Pacchioli.
“Atalanta advancing to the knockout stages with seven out of a possible 18 points was quite crazy to see in this elite tournament. But I think it really embodies the mentality of the squad and the never say die attitude,” Nick Pacchioli stated.
Atalanta kept on surprising Italy and the footballing world when they demolished Valencia 8-4 over two games in the Champions League Round of 16. Those two performances against the Spanish club highlighted that the northern Italian team were here to cement their status among some of Europe’s elite teams.
“The 4-1 win against Valencia in the first leg shocked Europe, making football fans realise that Atalanta reaching the round of 16 with just seven points wasn’t a fluke.”
After Atalanta’s match against Valencia in Milan was reportedly responsible for the catastrophic COVID-19 outbreak in Bergamo back in March, many football fans were sceptical if Atalanta could continue their fine form for the Serie A and Champions League restart. By cementing a third-place finish in Serie A after the COVID-19 lockdown, this feat ensured Atalanta’s Champions League status for the 2020-21 season – a sign that the club is rapidly establishing itself as a top-four side in Italy.
The Bergamo club may have lost their quarterfinal match against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Still, Atalanta can be proud that they only lost 2-1 to a side who’s star player Neymar makes €36m in comparison to the whole Atlanta squad earning the same amount yearly.
SOURCE: Italian Football TV
According to Atalanta fan Nick Pacchioli, La Dea could be a mighty force for the upcoming seasons if the club keeps the same team core and increases their squad depth – particularly in the shaky defence.
“Atalanta was gassed by the end of the season, and it showed against PSG, and even the last few games of the Serie A season. I’d like to seem them a bit more polished at the back, and work more on defending the counters.”
Atalanta has proven to be a success story in Italy for the past four years, but now they are gaining more fans abroad due to the style of play the coach and team ply against any opponent. This exciting Italian side’s journey doesn’t end here.