Atalanta BC

Founding and establishment in Serie A (1907–1959) since the first season of a unified Serie A Atalanta was founded on 17 October 1907 by students of the Liceo Classico Paolo Sarpi and was named after the female athlete of the same name from Greek mythology. Though it immediately established a football sector, it was not the first football association based in Bergamo: Football Club Bergamo was founded by Swiss emigrants in 1904 and was absorbed into another club, Bergamasca, in 1911. The Italian Football Federation did not recognize Atalanta until 1914, and in 1919 announced that it would only allow one club from Bergamo to compete in the highest national league (then called the Prima Categoria). Atalanta competed in the Seconda Divisione, the second tier, during the early 1920s. In the 1927–28 season, the club won its group and subsequently defeated Pistoiese in the playoffs to win promotion and its first second division league triumph. The club inaugurated its current home stadium in the Borgo Santa Caterina neighborhood in 1928, and was admitted to Serie B, the second tier of the restructured Italian league, in 1929. Atalanta achieved a fifth-place finish in the 1947–48 Serie A under coach Ivo Fiorentini, its highest league finish until 2017. The club earned a reputation as the provinciale terribile (terrible provincial team) during this time as a result of its successes against well-known metropolitan teams such as the Grande Torino, who won Serie A five times during the 1940s. Coppa Italia victory, decline, and reemergence in Europe (1959–1994) hoisting the 1962–63 Coppa Italia Atalanta won the Coppa Italia in 1963, defeating Torino 3–1 in the final thanks to a hat-trick by striker Angelo Domenghini. This was the senior team's first major trophy. During the early 1960s, the club made its debut in European competitions, among them the 1961–62 Mitropa Cup, the Coppa dell'Amicizia, and the Coppa delle Alpi. As domestic cup winners, the club qualified for the 1963–64 European Cup Winners' Cup, its first major UEFA competition, though was eliminated by Portuguese club Sporting CP in the first round. Despite playing in Serie B at the time, the club developed several young players who moved on to historically bigger clubs and won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with Italy. Several difficult seasons then saw Atalanta fall into Serie B in 1980 and Serie C1 in 1981, when for the first time in its history, the club would play outside the top two tiers. This was a blow that revitalized the club, from which many changes in management followed. Under new management, Atalanta comfortably won Group A of Serie C1 in 1982, As Napoli also won Serie A that season and therefore qualified for the European Cup, Atalanta qualified for its second European Cup Winners' Cup. This was a turning point for the club; Emiliano Mondonico was appointed as coach and the club would achieve promotion after only one season in Serie B. In the Cup Winners' Cup, Atalanta lost its first match against Welsh club Merthyr Tydfil, but won the return fixture and went on to reach the semi-finals, where it would be eliminated 4–2 on aggregate by Belgian club K.V. Mechelen, who would eventually win the tournament. In doing so, Atalanta achieved the best finish in a UEFA competition of a club playing outside its country's top flight league. With a sixth-place finish in the 1988–89 Serie A, Atalanta qualified for its first UEFA Cup, though was eliminated by Russian club Spartak Moscow in the first round. Fluctuating performances (1994–2016) After several upper mid-table finishes and a narrowly missed UEFA cup qualification in 1993, though would return to Serie A in 1995. The club then sold several key players, causing it to struggle and return to Serie B in 1998; it would remain there until 2000, when coach Giovanni Vavassori revitalized the team with youth academy players in a successful promotion campaign. In the 2000s, Atalanta experienced more divisional movements: it was relegated in 2002–03 (despite finishing seventh two years prior) and 2004–05, but achieved promotion to Serie A after only one season in Serie B both times, winning the 2005–06 edition. After a tumultuous 2009–10 season, which saw the club change coach three times, the club was once again relegated; after this relegation, entrepreneur Antonio Percassi became the club's new president. and Stefano Colantuono returned as coach. The club won Serie B in 2011 and thus immediately returned to Serie A. Despite this success, club captain Cristiano Doni was named among the suspects in a match-fixing scandal (also known as Calcioscommesse); Doni was handed a three-and-a-half-year ban from football and the club was docked six points in the 2011–12 league table and two points in the 2012–13 league table. Throughout the early and mid-2010s, Atalanta generally lingered in lower-midtable in Serie A. In the Europa League, the club reached the round of 32, losing 4–3 on aggregate to Borussia Dortmund. In 2017–18, Atalanta finished seventh in the league, entering the qualifying rounds for 2018–19 UEFA Europa League, though was eliminated in a penalty shootout by Danish club Copenhagen. Despite a difficult start to the 2018–19 season, Atalanta achieved many positive results and finished third in Serie A, its best ever league finish; with this result, the club qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in its history. Atalanta also reached the Coppa Italia final, though lost 2–0 to Lazio. In the 2019–20 season, Atalanta lost its first three Champions League matches, but went on to qualify for the round of 16. Atalanta then defeated Spanish club Valencia in both legs of the round of 16, reaching the quarterfinals, where it would be eliminated by French champion Paris Saint-Germain. The club also repeated its third-place finish in Serie A and achieved a second consecutive Champions League qualification, breaking several club records. In the 2020–21 season, Atalanta reached the round of 16 in the Champions League for the second time, following an away victory over Ajax. They would later secure Champions League qualification by finishing in third place in Serie A for the third consecutive time, and reached the Coppa Italia final for the second time in three years, though they lost 2–1 to Juventus. On 19 February 2022, a US-based consortium led by Stephen Pagliuca acquired a 55% stake of La Dea srl, the controlling company of Atalanta, previously wholly owned by the Percassi family. Under the new agreement, Pagliuca was named co-chairman, with Antonio Percassi staying on as chairman. On 4 August 2023, Atalanta established a reserve team in Serie C, becoming the second Italian club to do so. In the 2023–24 season, Atalanta reached the 2024 Coppa Italia final, losing to Juventus 1–0, and made its debut appearance in a European final, the UEFA Europa League final. In that match, the team defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3–0, thanks to a hat-trick by Ademola Lookman, to claim its first trophy since 1963; this was the first time an Italian club won the competition since it changed the name and format. In addition, Atalanta qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League after a three-year absence from the competition. Ahead of the 2025–26 season, Ivan Jurić was appointed as the new manager. But in November of the same year, he was dismissed and Raffaele Palladino took over. ==Colours, kits, and crest==

Colours and kits with Atalanta in 2016 The first kits adopted by Atalanta after its founding featured thin black and white vertical stripes. In the first years following this merger, the club's kits featured black and blue quarters. Atalanta adopted its classic black and blue vertical stripes several years later. Since 2010, Atalanta plays its final home match of the calendar year, a "Christmas Match", in specially designed kits. The kits are then auctioned to raise money for charity. Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors Crest Atalanta has had five crests since its foundation, all of which depict some combination of the team's name (except between 1984 and 1993), colours, and (since 1963) the Greek mythological athlete Atalanta, from whom the club derives its name as well as its nickname La Dea. The crest's colours and representation of Atalanta changed again in the 1970s, though followed the same basic shape as the 1963 version. In 1984, the crest underwent a major redesign: the club's name and the running girl's body were removed from the crest and its shape was changed from a shield to a circle. This "classic" crest featured a white silhouette of Atalanta's head on a black and blue background, enclosed in three concentric white, black, and golden yellow circles. Black, blue, and white were retained—as the club's colours—while yellow was added to represent the golden apples, which according to mythology, Hippomenes tossed to Atalanta to distract her and defeat her in a footrace. The club's modern crest was designed in 1993. It incorporates the 1984 crest into its design, though tilts Atalanta's head and lacks the yellow circle. The name Atalanta and founding year 1907 were added respectively above and below the circle, which is enclosed in an ellipse featuring the same split black and blue background as the 1984 design. ==Stadium==

Atalanta has played at its current stadium, the 24,950-seater Gewiss Stadium in the Borgo Santa Caterina neighborhood of Bergamo, since 1928. near the Bergamo–Milan railway. It measured and had a seated capacity of 1,000 spectators. Due to financial hardship during World War I, though, Atalanta was forced to sell the land containing its field, leaving it without a home ground. As a solution, entrepreneur and philanthropist Betty Ambiveri sold the Clementina field, an older venue in Seriate that hosted sporting events such as cycling, to the club. The new field was inaugurated as the Atalanta Stadium and it hosted 14,000 spectators in its first match against La Dominante of Genoa. it also featured a running track, as it was planned to form part of a larger complex. On 1 November 1928, Atalanta played its first unofficial match at the stadium (a 4–2 victory against Triestina); the stadium was then officially inaugurated on 23 December 1928, when Atalanta defeated La Dominante Genova 2–0 in front of over 14,000 spectators. and a second stand at the north end (the Curva Nord) followed during the 1960s, opening in 1971. The Tribuna Giulio Cesare underwent modernization during the early 1990s, and the stadium was renamed the ''Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia'' ("Blue Athletes of Italy") in 1994. who died following collapse on the field during a Serie B match between Pescara and Livorno. In 2015, the stadium also expanded its side stands to offer pitchside views only several meters (feet) from the benches, a revolutionary feature of Italian stadiums at the time. This acquisition allowed the club to authorize a renovation project for the stadium, Following a sponsorship agreement with electronics company Gewiss lasting at least until 2025, the stadium was renamed the Gewiss Stadium on 1 July 2019. On 6 October 2019, the renovated Curva Nord was inaugurated for Atalanta's home match against Lecce; it has covered seating for over 9,000 spectators. A year later, both side stands underwent modernization and the Curva Sud had temporary seats installed on the concrete. These upgrades allowed Atalanta to play its Champions League matches in Bergamo starting in the 2020–21 season. The final phase will feature a rebuilt Curva Sud (mirroring the rebuilt Curva Nord), which will increase the stadium's capacity to about 25,000, as well as construction of a new underground parking garage and other improvements to the stadium's surroundings. It was originally expected to be completed in 2021, though following several delays, the start of construction its completion is expected by August 2024, with demolition of the Curva Sud beginning in June 2023. Atalanta will still be able to play its home matches at the Gewiss Stadium during construction, On occasion, Atalanta's youth team also plays competitive matches at the Gewiss Stadium, most recently the Supercoppa Primavera in 2021. Training ground Atalanta trains at the Centro Sportivo Bortolotti in , a complex first constructed during the community's development in the 1960s, before being acquired for Atalanta by president Achille Bortolotti and inaugurated in 1977. The complex is used by the senior team for training and some friendlies, and the youth teams for training and home matches in youth competitions such as the Campionato Primavera 1. Atalanta's renowned youth academy (Scuola di Calcio; see below) is also based in Zingonia, and has been a continuous point of investment for the club since its establishment. ==Supporters==

, Atalanta is the 9th-most supported club in Italy, with an estimated 314,000 supporters. Although Atalanta supporters are vastly outnumbered in Italy by fans of more titled clubs, the club's performances in recent years have drawn additional support, especially among younger generations. An increase of 43% was reported since 2019, peaking at about 350,000 in 2021, Most of the club's fans reside within the Province of Bergamo; conversely, there are very strong ties between Atalanta and Bergamo's residents, who often gather together in close-knit groups in support of the club. The Curva Nord Ultras were historically leftist but are now apolitical. , including the large striped flag On match days, the Curva Nord often features flares, fireworks, and choreography, and sometimes is covered by a large black-and-blue striped flag (see image). During the 2018–19 season, Atalanta matches had an average home attendance of 18,248, of whom an estimated 15,676 were season ticket holders. Some contemporary players and coaches also have appeared at the celebration, most recently in 2018. Friendships and rivalries Atalanta supporters have a long-standing friendship (gemellaggio; twinning) with supporters of Ternana. Historically, both clubs' Ultras were brought together by shared political views, and they frequently visit the other club's Curva. There are also friendly relations between fans of Atalanta and fans of Spezia (since Atalanta's run in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1988), Cosenza, Cavese, and Austrian club Wacker Innsbruck. Meetings between the two clubs are sometimes known as the Derby Lombardo (Lombard Derby). This rivalry has its roots in a historical feud between Bergamo and Brescia dating back to the Middle Ages, beginning in 1126 when Bergamo expanded its territory by acquiring land put up for sale by Brescia; this led to a series of territorial disputes and armed conflicts between the two cities, among them the Battle of Cortenuova in 1237. Since at least 1977, a heartfelt rivalry has existed between fans of Atalanta and Torino. The Atalanta–Torino rivalry also gave rise to a short-lived friendship (lasting until the early 1980s) between supporters of Atalanta and Juventus—Torino's city rival—although Atalanta supporters now also consider Juventus a hated rival. In addition to Juventus, there are strong rivalries between Atalanta and Italy's other well-supported clubs: Milan and Atalanta have had a long-standing rivalry fueled by the friendship between fans of Brescia and Milan, Matches between Inter and Atalanta have seen violence among Ultras since the early 1970s, fueled by political differences as well as the clubs' shared black and blue colors. Atalanta's rivalry with Lazio has been historically characterized by opposing political views—respectively far left against far right The rivalry between Atalanta and Fiorentina has intensified during Gian Piero Gasperini's tenure as Atalanta manager (also corresponding to Atalanta's qualification to European competitions); multiple tense episodes have occurred during and after matches between the two clubs. There are also strong rivalries between supporters of Atalanta and supporters of Bologna, Como (a regional rivalry since the 1980s), Genoa, Hellas Verona, Pisa, and Vicenza, as well as Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. ==Players==

Current squad Atalanta U23 and Youth sector Out on loan Retired numbers 12 – Dedication to fans, in particular for Curva Pisani ones 14 – Federico Pisani, forward (1991–97) – posthumous honor 80 – Elio Corbani, radio journalist. ==Managers==

Atalanta's current manager (head coach) is Raffaele Palladino, who assumed the role on 11 November 2025. The club has had a total of 61 managers (including player-managers, assistants acting as head coach, and caretaker managers) since the club hired its first professional coach, Cesare Lovati, in 1925. Gian Piero Gasperini, who led the club to its highest league finishes and UEFA Champions League qualification between 2019 and 2021, as well as a UEFA Europa League title in 2024, has the most appearances as manager in the club's history (438 matches across all competitions) and the longest uninterrupted tenure as Atalanta manager (seven consecutive seasons). The club's second-longest-serving manager is Emiliano Mondonico, who oversaw 299 matches in all competitions—including a European Cup Winners' Cup and a UEFA Cup—in two spells (1987–90 and 1994–98). Stefano Colantuono, who also was manager on two different occasions (2005–07 and 2010–15), is the club's third-longest serving manager, with 281 appearances in total. Managerial history Coaching staff ==Finances and ownership==

Presidential history Atalanta have had several presidents (chairmen) ( or ) over the course of their history. Some of them have been the main shareholder of the club. The longest-serving chairman is Ivan Ruggeri, who was relieved of his duties after he suffered a stroke in January 2008, being replaced by his son Alessandro who was named chairman of Atalanta in September 2008. Alessandro's father was unable to manage the team due to the consequences of the stroke. In June 2010, after another relegation to Serie B, Alessandro Ruggeri sold his share of the club to Antonio Percassi, who became the new chairman of Atalanta. ==Honours==

National titles • Coppa Italia • Winners (1): 1962–63 • Runners-up (5): 1986–87, 1995–96, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2023–24 European titles • UEFA Europa League • Winners (1): 2023–24 • UEFA Super Cup • Runners-up (1): 2024 Other titles • Serie B • Winners (6): 1927–28, 1939–40, 1958–59, 1983–84, 2005–06, 2010–11 • Serie C • Winners (1): 1981–82 (Group A) ==Divisional movements==

==UEFA club coefficient ranking==

The UEFA coefficient ranking: ==Youth system==

, 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). 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 number of first division players produced by the club. In the 2007–08 season, 22 players from Atalanta's youth played in Serie A, 32 in Serie B and 3 abroad. On 4 August 2023, Atalanta established a reserve team in Serie C, becoming the second Italian club to do so. == Notes ==