Atalanta B.C. - The New Force In Italy?

[Klippybo]

END OF SEASON REVIEW

6 competitions entered and 6 competitions won - cant complain about that!!! This season was an enjoyable one as my youngsters continued to progress, my established players upped their game and we scored plenty of goals (119 in Serie A alone!).

The worrying thing is that below the first team squad there are at least 6-8 players who could quite easily jump up to the first team. The likes of Jindracek, Bianco, Quadrelli, Ruocco, Pagano amongst others have all tasted first team action already and some may be loaned out next season. My youth team won everything there was to win as well, the league, cup, youth invitational and the u19 Champions Cup!

No doubt there will be changes. Remember I have agreed to sign one player already who will jump straight into the first team and I have an agreement to bring in a youngster too so we shall see what the summer brings.

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SERIE A TABLE
View attachment 396497

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FIRST TEAM SQUAD
View attachment 396498

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MY PLAYER OF THE SEASON
GIACOMO BONAVENTURA
View attachment 396496

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MY U21 PLAYER OF THE SEASON
SINAN SIVRIKAYA
View attachment 396495

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AWARDS WON

Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year - M.A.ter Stegen
Serie A Defender of the Year - M.Capuano
Italian Media Italian Player of the Year - D.Berardi
Serie A Player of the Year - G.Bonaventura
Serie A Team of the Year - M.A.ter Stegen, N.Murru, E.Alvarez Balanta, M.Capuano, L.Kurzawa, M.Verratti, G.Bonaventura, M.Batshuayi
FIFA World Team of the Year - G.Bonaventura
FIFA Club World Cup Best Player - A.Kleemann
UEFA Champions League Dream Team - M.Capuano, T.Martinez, D.Berardi​

 

[Klippybo]

PRE-SEASON/AUGUST

I surprised myself this summer as I made some changes that I wasnt entirely anticipating. However at the end of the day I am more than happy with how my squad is shaping up.

There was no international games during the summer so it was all about the transfer market.........

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PLAYERS IN

First to my pre-arranged deal. I signed one of my favourite Basques, Iker Muniain from Athletic Bilbao on a free transfer. I know everything there is to know about him from my Bilbao saves so I know he will be great for me.
View attachment 396258

My most expensive signing was Bryan Cristante from AC Milan for ?21m. I have always wanted to sign him and I got presented with the opportunity to do so and did it! He will provide competition for CM and CB.
View attachment 396257

My only other major signing was Mattia De Sciglio from Real Madrid for ?12.5m. I planned to get another full back in during the summer anyway and when he got put on the transfer list I swooped. Another player I have always wanted to sign.
View attachment 396256

Finally I signed these 3 for a total of ?1.7m.
View attachment 396255View attachment 396254View attachment 396253

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PLAYERS OUT

6 players from my first team squad left..........

[TABLE="width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD]NAME[/TD]
[TD]APP[/TD]
[TD]GLS[/TD]
[TD]TO[/TD]
[TD]FEE[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Layvin Kurzawa[/TD]
[TD]62[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]Paris Saint-Germain[/TD]
[TD]?30.5m[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sebastian Giovinco[/TD]
[TD]134[/TD]
[TD]47[/TD]
[TD]Liverpool[/TD]
[TD]?12.5m[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Lorenzo Crisetig[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]Marseille[/TD]
[TD]?8m[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Davide Brivio[/TD]
[TD]128[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]Catania[/TD]
[TD]?5.5m[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Daniele Baselli[/TD]
[TD]54[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]Empoli[/TD]
[TD]?3.6m[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Guido Marilungo[/TD]
[TD]68[/TD]
[TD]19[/TD]
[TD]Chievo[/TD]
[TD]?3.2m[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

A bit of money making went on as you can see!!!! I never planned to sell Kurzawa but he was demanding a new contract and over ?100k a week and that was far, far too much in my eyes so off he went. Giovinco was always going due to Muniain's impending arrival, Baselli and Marilungo left to get regular first team football and I sold the other two to make room for 2 youngsters!

As usual several players were loaned out including Bianco, Qasmi, Jindracek and Dosal.

I rejected some mammoth bids for my players also including Allione (?35m), Alvarez Balanta, Murru and ter Stegen.

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SUMMARY

So quite a bit of change. I have promoted 16y/o Pavel Kupka to the first team as my backup LB. Amedeo Pagano is also in with the big boys too. I have decided to start the season with Sivrikaya up front as his development has made him better than Batshuayi - but it is close!

ter Stegen

Murru - Capuano - Alvarez Balanta - De Sciglio

Verratti - Pugliese

Muniain (LW) - Bonaventura - Berardi (RW)

Sivrikaya

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AUGUST

Supercoppa Italiana
Atalanta 4 (Sivrikaya 4, Corchia og 42, Martinez 86, 90)
Napoli 2 (Hamsik 60, Higuain 70)

Trophy number one is in the cabinet for the season. I was pretty ****** off when they fought back but Martinez struck late on thankfully.

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Atalanta 1 (Berardi 56)
Napoli 0

Another game against Napoli and another win. Our next opponents? Napoli in the European Super Cup lol

--

LINEUPS
[TABLE="width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD]OPP[/TD]
[TD]RES[/TD]
[TD]GK[/TD]
[TD]RB[/TD]
[TD]CB[/TD]
[TD]CB[/TD]
[TD]LB[/TD]
[TD]CM[/TD]
[TD]CM[/TD]
[TD]AMR[/TD]
[TD]AML[/TD]
[TD]AMC[/TD]
[TD]ST[/TD]
[TD]SUBS[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Nap[/TD]
[TD]4-2[/TD]
[TD]ter Stegen[/TD]
[TD]De Sciglio[/TD]
[TD]Alvarez Balanta[/TD]
[TD]Capuano[/TD]
[TD]Murru[/TD]
[TD]Pugliese[/TD]
[TD]Verratti[/TD]
[TD]Berardi[/TD]
[TD]Muniain[/TD]
[TD]Martinez* 2[/TD]
[TD]Sivrikaya[/TD]
[TD]Cristante, Kupka, Quadrelli[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Nap[/TD]
[TD]1-0[/TD]
[TD]ter Stegen[/TD]
[TD]De Sciglio[/TD]
[TD]Kleemann*[/TD]
[TD]Capuano[/TD]
[TD]Murru[/TD]
[TD]Pugliese[/TD]
[TD]Verratti[/TD]
[TD]Berardi[/TD]
[TD]Muniain[/TD]
[TD]Bonaventura[/TD]
[TD]Sivrikaya[/TD]
[TD]Martinez, Kupka, Quadrelli[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


​

 

[Klippybo]

After having some teething problems trying to get a save going for streaming I inadvertantly got a bug - the Bilbao bug!!!!

I will start a new story with Bilbao and come back to this later no doubt.