Football Season Guide

Atalanta missed a great opportunity last season, as they looked capable of fighting for the Scudetto but negative streaks in key moments cost them dear. Despite a slow beginning of the campaign, they settled themselves in the third place in early November, following an outstanding win over Napoli, and would not leave it until the end. Gasperini expected the club to invest big money in the winter transfer campaign, when they lost precious points due to injuries in defence and attack, but it did not happen, thus causing resentment in the coach. Between March and early April, they lost more ground and the final push was not sufficient for them to battle with Inter and Napoli anymore. After 7 top-5 finishes in a decade, the architect of the Goddess' triumphs decided to quit. The management looked for a like-for-like replacement and hired Ivan Juric, crowned as his main heir by Gasperini himself. The new man at the helm actually comes from a poor season at Roma and Southampton. The transfer campaign has been disappointing so far. The attack suffered a heavy blow since Retegui, last Serie A top scorer with 25 goals, was sold for good cash, and Lookman, the Europa League hero, 20 goals and 7 assists last season, could follow. He is now at odds with the club, since they refused offers coming from bigger clubs. With Scamacca back from injury, they hired Sulemana from Southampton, with Toure, returning from a loan, an unwanted guest. They are on the hunt for more strikers. Elsewhere, with back-up goalie Rui Patricio gone, they signed an old friend in Sportiello, coming from Milan. At the back, they lost Toloi but Scalvini, also a valid midfielder, is back from injury, while Kossounou was signed permanently. Back-up left-back Ruggeri was sold to Atletico Madrid and they replaced him with Ahanor, a youngster coming from Genoa, set to become a protagonist. In the midfield, Samardzic and Brescianini were signed permanently and nothing else.