Atalanta B.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Atalanta


current = Atalanta_B.C._season_2008-09
fullname = Atalanta Bergamasca
Calcio SpA
nickname = "La Dea" (The Goddess),
"Nerazzurri" (Black-blues)
"Orobici" (Orobics)
founded = 1907
ground = Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia,
Bergamo, Italy
capacity = 26,638
chairman = flagicon|Italy Alessandro Ruggeri
manager = flagicon|Italy Luigi Del Neri
league = Serie A
season = 2007-08
position = Serie A, 9th
shirtsupplier=
shirtsponsors=
pattern_la1=_black_stripes|pattern_b1=_blackstripes|pattern_ra1=_black_stripes
leftarm1=0000FF|body1=0000FF|rightarm1=0000FF|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=_blueshoulders|pattern_b2=_blackshoulders|pattern_ra2=_blueshoulders
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF

Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy. 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 best among non-metropolitan ones.

History

The club was founded in 1907. A football club had existed in Bergamo since 1904. Founded by Swiss wealthy immigrants, 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. 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 "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 in 5th place. 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, 1998 and 2005.

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 proven to run a successful youth system, producing footballers like Roberto Donadoni (Italy national team coach from July 2006), Alessio Tacchinardi, Domenico Morfeo, Giampaolo Pazzini, Riccardo Montolivo, 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 Strömberg, Alemao, Paolo Montero, Christian Vieri, Filippo Inzaghi, Gianluigi Lentini, Cristiano Lucarelli, Cristiano Doni, and, in the past, Stefano Angeleri, Adriano Bassetto, Antonio Cabrini, Angelo Domenghini, Humberto Maschio, Mario Mereghetti, Giuseppe Savoldi, and Gaetano Scirea

Current squad

"As of September 15, 2008" [cite web |url=http://www.atalanta.it/atalanta/show.do;jsessionid=4BAB711867BD229EDB06B573EC6A1E22?dispatch=page&area=squadra |publisher=Atalanta BC |accessdate=2008-09-15 |title=ROSA UFFICIALE ATALANTA BERGAMASCA CALCIO - STAGIONE 2008/2009]

Confirmed transfers

Out on loan

Noted players

"Ordered by first season played for Atalanta"
*"See also: "
*flagicon|Italy Stefano Salvatori (1991-96)
*flagicon|Italy Cristian Zenoni (1994-2001)
*flagicon|Italy Damiano Zenoni (1994-2004)
*flagicon|Italy Filippo Inzaghi (1996-97)
*flagicon|Italy Cristiano Doni (1998-2003, 2006-)
*flagicon|Italy Massimo Donati (1999-2001)
*flagicon|Italy Nicola Ventola (2000-01, 2005-07)
*flagicon|Italy Riccardo Montolivo (2003-05)
*flagicon|Sweden Glenn Strömberg (1984-92)
*flagicon|Brazil Evair (1988-91)
*flagicon|Argentina Claudio Caniggia (1989-92, 1999-2000)
*flagicon|Serbia and Montenegro Zoran Mirkovic (1996-98)
*flagicon|France Ousmane Dabo (2001-2003)

Presidential history

Atalanta have had several presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents, here is a list of them. The current president Ivan Ruggeri is now in hospital after that he suffered a Stroke in January 2008, his daughter Francesca has been named "vice-president" in order to fill the vacancy in the managerial post. [News from Yahoo news, [http://it.eurosport.yahoo.com/25032008/44/atalanta-ruggeri-trasferito-mozzo-107.html] ] In September 2008 Ivan's son Alessandro was named president of Atalanta replacing his father that is unable to manage the team due the conseguences of the stroke. [http://www.eco.bg.it/EcoOnLine/SPORT/2008/09/03_ruggeri_intervista.shtml]

Managerial history

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

Honours

*Coppa Italia
**Champions 1963
**Runners-up 1987, 1996
*Serie B
**Champions 1940, 1959, 1984, 2005-06
**Runners-up 1937, 1971, 1999-00
*"'Serie C1
**Champions 1982

upporters

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, and there are strong rivalries also with supporters of Verona, Genoa, Fiorentina, Roma, Lazio, Napoli, Milan, Inter, Torino; while there has been a long-standing friendship with Ternana, fans of the German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt and fans of the Austrian club Wacker Innsbruck.

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

References

External links

* [http://www.atalanta.it/ Official Atalanta BC Site]