Monday the 27th of February marks a very “special” milestone for Atalanta in more ways than ever before, as the Club proudly announce a new entry in their family welcoming a new team in their roster: Atalanta For Special.
As part of a strategy pivoted around an increasing commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility projects and also thanks to the key partnership with the Società Nembrese 1913, Atalanta officially welcome their Special squad (a team comprising footballers afflicted by intellectual and relational disabilities and psychiatric pathologies). As per the agreement reached between the two teams, the 21 athletes of the Special team are to be adopted into the ranks of Atalanta, hence donning the black-and-blue colours.
Atalanta, long-standing against any form of discrimination, will take the field also as a way to both raise awareness towards all hardships related to disabilities and to champion the dignity, the rights and the overall well-being of all people suffering health conditions and/or impairments via a more tangible effort.
The educative and technical staffing of Atalanta and Nembrese 1913 are hence to join forces in order to provide assistance and guidance to any occurring needs and activities of the Special team on and off the pitch alike.
As the Joint-venture with our Special squad is aimed at transcending the mere footballing experience, the main goal of the project is to rather become a key part of the life journey and a new opportunity of shaping a common path for all the disabled people who are going to partake in the aforementioned initiative. Namely, via a whole host of opportunities: for instance, with experiences at the Centro Bortolotti in Zingonia, invitations to the Gewiss Stadium and activities in cooperation with the Atalanta Academy as first touch points.
In the foreseeable future, the vision of the project is bound to entail the involvement and participation in the regional 7-a-side Paralympic Experimental football league organized under the patronage of the FIGC with commitments to be disputed on a bi-weekly basis in Milan.
The crystal-clear and driving trait-d’union encompassing each and every single event organized for and attended by the Special division is to revolve around conveying the core fundamental human values of inclusivity and diversity, hence also strengthening the already bonding commitment between Atalanta and these sentiments.
Pictured in the cover photo are Umberto Marino, General Director of Atalanta, and Giuseppe Amico, President of Nembrese 1913. Standing behind Marino and Amico, from left to right: Gianmario Lesmo, Nembrese 1913; Luca Pala, Lucia Castelli and Donato Cacciavillani of the Atalanta staff; Davide Zenoni and Gabriele Birolini of Nembrese 1913
