Football Season Guide

After returning to the top flight of the Italian football in 2011, Atalanta succeeded offering their supporters 3 quite positive seasons, during which they always managed reaching safety in advance. In fact, in the past campaign, they even got real close to the European spots thanks to an outstanding winning run but, in the end, they lacked the consistency and strength needed to fight for such an ambitious goal. Therefore, the management saw no reason for a change at the helm and they confirmed coach Colantuono for the fifth campaign in a row. This will be his seventh year with the Goddess, also considering a previous stint, and he will hope to suffer from no kind of itches, though. Changes, and plenty of them, have been made in the squad in the attempt of rejuvenating the group. Thus, Yepes, Lucchini, Brienza, Del Grosso, Giorgi have been let go such as Livaja, who never managed to impose himself despite the high promises. More youths like Nica, Cazzola, Caldara, Kone and Bentancourt have been given the chance to earn some playing time elsewhere. Such departures have led to some, important, arrivals. The defence, in the usual 4-4-1-1 formation, should be the department mostly affected by the transfer campaign with Zappacosta (right-back), Cherubin (centre-back), Biava (centra-back) and Drame (left-back) all aiming at a place among the starters. In the midfield, Gagliardini, who is back from a loan, could also get some playing time, providing for cover for the regulars. The attack, their main weakness in these past years, with Moralez and Denis duly confirmed, should be boasted by the arrivals of D’Alessandro, Boakye and, most importantly, Bianchi, who is in bad need of a redemption after failing with Torino and Bologna. However, players like Cigarini and Bonaventura could still leave the team in the next weeks and that would definitely be a big blow.