The transfer window as always been a turbulent time for Atalanta ever since its introduction, but none have been as rocky as this year’s one, and we are only two weeks into the chaos.
Deep down every La Dea fan knows that Atalanta are, and possibly always will be, considered as a selling team, a club where players will be nurtured and given time to mature as players, only for bigger clubs to come armed with their magic cheque books and steal the players away just before they reach their prime, sadly this has become a fact of La Dea life.
Already, this transfer window has seen several departures from the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia but it is the manor of these departures that has led to so much upheaval. Federico Peluso’s transfer to Juventus had been in the pipeline for some time now and the Nerazzurri tifosi had expected his exit from the club ever since a deadline day move for the player broke down back in the summer.
Thomas Manfredini’s transfer to Genoa on the other hand has really rubbed the residents of the Curva Nord up the wrong way. Many Atalanta fans feel let down and betrayed by their former hero.
The 32-year old defender had been with the Bergamo club since 2005 he was also named the club’s vice-captain after Cristiano Doni was handed his three year ban. The centre back was considered as a first team regular having played 15 games for the Orobici already this season.
Hundreds of Atalanta even took to the streets in demonstration as they protested his innocence when the player was charged with match fixing during the 2010-11 season before he was later acquitted. He truly was a fans favorite and the tifosi thought the feeling was mutual.
However the experienced defender showed his true colours when he accepted a move to the Grifone and join up with his former coach Luigi Delneri. The player was quoted as saying, “I had the distinct feeling of not being considered important to the team.”
Not the sort of thing you expect to hear from a club’s vice-captain and a valued first team regular. It’s hard to understand why he would want to leave the club at this stage in his career especially for a club that are staring down the barrel of a relegation dog fight.
In an attempt to redeem himself he told reporters, “I want to thank the Curva Nord for the good times we spent together, they have a special place in my heart”.
Manfredini’s transfer has really stirred up a hornets nest in Bergamo with many fans labeling him as nothing more than a mercenary. The new Genoa signing missed Atalanta’s last fixture through ‘Flu’.
For many this spelt out the inevitable and led to large groups of fans demanding that players at the club who want to leave to hurry up, thus leaving the players that are proud to wear the shirt to stand up and be counted.
Atalanta first team regular Stefano Lucchini also missed last week’s trip to Verona, was incidentally linked with a return to Sampdoria.
Ezequiel Schelotto and Maximiliano Moralez were not included in the starting line up however they were named on the bench. Both players have been linked with moves away from Bergamo this month. Schelotto is expected to join Internazionale while Moralez has been tipped for a return to South America.
Understandably the flu-type virus that had ruled Manfredini out of that fixture could be considered highly contagious, but ironically the fringe players within the squad seemed to be immune from the bug that has taken its toll on so many first team players.
Although his players seem to be abandoning ship, Atalanta first team coach Stefano Colantuono has brought a smile back to the angry faces of the La Dea faithful. By signing a new contract with the club that will see him remain at the helm in Bergamo until June 2016.
This new deal should put an end to speculation linking the master tactician to the Napoli job should Walter Mazzarri decide to leave come the end of the season.
The 50-year old coach has been credited for his side’s overachievements in recent years and he clearly has a bright future ahead of him.
With Atalanta securing his services for another three years many people feel that his new contract should be considered more important than what players decide to come and go, and with Colantuono in charge they will remain on the right track in their quest to become a bigger club all round.
For too long now Atalanta have seen their heroes sell them out or let them down, Colantuono has shown that he will not do the same.
The Atalanta first team coach told the club’s official website, “I am very happy to have signed a renewal of my contract because I feel I work really well here.
“The club has built something very good I am just glad to have contributed to that in some way.”
On a further note former Atalanta Primavera product Michele Canini has rejoined the club from Genoa as part of the Manfredini deal. The 27-year old defender first joined the Bergamo outfit at seven years of age.
Novara winger Luigi Giorgi has also joined the Orobici on loan until the end of the season before being expected to sign a long term deal during the summer. The 25-year old had spent the first half of the season on loan at Palermo where he scored two goals in ten appearances.
Both new arrivals are expected to play some part in the Nerazzurri’s trip to Rome to face Lazio at the weekend. Once again Sunday’s fixture may also be used to gage what players may be departing the club in the coming weeks. Colantuono’s current squad is relatively injury free with the exception club captain Gianpaolo Bellini, Andrea Consigli or Giacomo Bonaventura will most likely stand in as skipper for the day.
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