Atalanta B.C. is pleased to announce the signing of an international affiliation development agreement with the Australian football club “Adelaide City Football Club”. Being it the first international affiliation of Atalanta, the agreement marks a historical milestone in the history of the Club.
As an effect of the aforementioned collaborative agreement, key synergies and activities between the two Academies will be implemented within the following months to provide all young players and trainers with sporting and educational experiences; also as a way to foster touch points pivoted around a thread linking Italy and Australia to enable a proactive dialogue and exchange, embedded in a path of mutual cultural and football-related growth.
Loris Margotto, Chief of the “Progetto Scuole Calcio Affiliate” (“Affiliated Football Schools”), has stated as follows: “We take utmost pride and joy in having signed this collaborative agreement: moreover, this achievement is already enshrined in the history of Atalanta, being it the very first international Club to have joined the network of affiliates. The idea of having international affiliates goes back a long way as it was already envisioned and planned from the very first layout and early stages of the “Scuole Calcio Affiliate” project. The first touch point with Adelaide City took place in 2019, when we hosted at the Centro Bortolotti a working group from Australia thanks to the brokerage of Domenico Gangemi, a fellow Italian living in Perth employed at the local University. These are the “behind the scenes” of how this opportunity came about. Despite the hindrance and delays brought about by the pandemic, putting conversations on halt until last year, the project eventually saw the green light in the previous days. Another key trait featuring this agreement – ends Margotto – encompasses the non-negligible technical standpoint as well; especially taking into account the strong presence of potential eligible players already in possession of a European Passport also as a consequence of a vast Italian community in the area”.
The Coordinator of the Attività di Base (Grassroots’ football Divisions), Stefano Bonaccorso, has enhanced the topic as follows: “The agreement will put into action activities to be implemented within the following months both in Italy and Australia to provide all young players and trainers with sporting and educational experiences”.
The “Progetto Scuole Calcio Affiliate” has finally entered a new stage in its growth strategy: after already comprising almost 100 affiliated Clubs located throughout Italy, it has proven itself ripe and has transcended the national border, reaching Australia.
