Football Season Guide

In the past season, Atalanta looked like the perfect candidate for an immediate return to the Serie B where they were coming from. In fact, they were about to face the whole campaign with a heavy point-deduction and they did not seem particularly solid. Against all odds, they turned out to be one of the main surprises of the Italian football and they succeeded reaching safety with some ease. Actually, had it not been for the 6-point deduction, they could have aspired to a qualification to the Europa League. Now, Atalanta are expected to confirm all the good done in the previous season. For such a reason, the management confirmed coach Colantuono and the whole squad. In fact, apart from Doni, whose career ended with a suspension, Brighi, whose loan ended, and Andrea Masiello, who will be suspended because of match-fixing, no other relevant players left. Youngsters like Carrozza and Minotti were given the chance to earn some playing time somewhere around the Peninsula. Colantuono should thus be able to rely on an unaltered starting eleven with only one exception. Instead of suspended, and released, Masiello, the newly-arrived Matheu should be acting as a right-back. The feeling is that they lack some alternative to Denis up-front. In the past season, they relied too much on his goal-scoring capabilities. At the moment, they got a 2-point suspension because of match-fixing.