Atalanta B.C.

Atalanta B.C. (Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, sometimes called Atalanta Bergamo) is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy. Nicknamed the Nerazzurri. They 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 even called Regina delle provinciali (provincial clubs Queen) to mark the fact that the club is historically one of the best among non-metropolitan ones.

The club was founded in 1907. A football club had existed in Bergamo since 1904, founded by Swiss emigrants, it was known as FC 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. Actual club, as is it generally known, is due to a merge 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 A until 1959; after a single season in Serie B the club was promoted and lasted a further decade in 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 5th placed. In 1981 the club fell into Serie C1, a blow which revitalised the club. The team returned to B the next season and made it back to A in 1985. The club's form in Serie A remains uncertain, as it was relegated in 1988, 1995 and 1998, but they were there more often than not.

In terms of titles the club has won little, their sole silverware is the 1963 Coppa Italia. The club has had very few good runs in Europe, the best spell ending in a Cup Winners' Cup semi-final in 1988; in 1991 Atalanta reached UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

The club has had very few famous players. However, Atalanta has been proved to run a successful youth system, producing footballers like Roberto Donadoni, Alessio Tacchinardi, Domenico Morfeo, Ivan Pelizzoli, and Samuele Dalla Bona who have quickly been grabbed by the bigger clubs. Other players who have graced the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia include Claudio Caniggia, Glenn Peter Strömberg, Paolo Montero, Christian Vieri, Filippo Inzaghi, Cristiano Lucarelli, Cristiano Doni, and, in the past, Stefano Angeleri, Adriano Bassetto, Angelo Domenghini, and Giuseppe Savoldi.

Current first team squad

As of January 31, 2006

Noted players

Ordered by first season played for Atalanta Giuseppe Meazza (1945-46) Stefano Angeleri (1949-50) Adriano Bassetto (1953-54) Humberto Maschio (1959-60) Angelo Domenghini (1960-61) Giuseppe Savoldi (1965-66) Gaetano Scirea (1972-73) Antonio Cabrini (1975-76) Cesare Prandelli (1978-79) Roberto Donadoni (1982-83) Glenn Peter Strömberg (1984-85) Aparecido Paulino Evair (1988-89) Claudio Paul Caniggia (1989-90) Alemao (1992-93) Paolo Montero (1992-93) Alessio Tacchinardi (1992-93) Domenico Morfeo (1993-94) Cristian Zenoni (1994-2001) Damiano Zenoni (1994-2004) Christian Vieri (1995-96) Massimo Carrera (1996-97) Filippo Inzaghi (1996-97) Gianluigi Lentini (1996-97) Zoran Mirkovic (1996-98) Cristiano Lucarelli (1997-98) Cristiano Doni (1998-99) Massimo Donati (1999-2001) Nicola Ventola (2000-01), (2005 -) Ousmane Dabo (2001-2003) Luigi Sala (2001-2003), (2004-05) Riccardo Montolivo (2003-05) Demetrio Albertini (2004) Stephen Ayodele Makinwa (2005)

See Also: Category:Atalanta B.C. players

Noted coaches

Ferruccio Valcareggi Ottavio Bianchi Nedo Sonetti Emiliano Mondonico Marcello Lippi

Honours

Coppa Italia
- Champions 1963
- Runners-up 1987, 1996

Serie B
- Champions 1940, 1959, 1984, 2006
- Runners-up 1937, 1971, 2000

Serie C1 group A
- Champions 1982

Supporters

Atalanta's supporters are considered very loyal . When Atalanta plays at Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, they stand in the Curva Nord (North Curve) supporting the club with their chants during the entire match. There are several supporters' groups; the most important are the Brigate Nerazzurre or BNA (Black-and-blue Brigades), a group established in 1977 and wound up in 2005. Most of Atalanta's Ultra group are left wing in their political orientation, a fact bourne out by the large number of Che Guevara banners seen at their games.

The biggest rivalry is with the neighbouring supporters of Brescia, and there are strong rivalries also with supporters of Verona, Genoa, Fiorentina, Rome, Lazio, Napoli, Milan, Internazionale, Torino; while there has been a long-standing friendship with Ternana.

On special occasions Atalanta supporters display a very large black and blue flag called Bandierone which covers the whole curve.

External link

Official Atalanta BC Site