Fresh row: Atalanta snubbed bosses’ dinner after BVB match | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund is making headlines not only for their sporting performance after the 2-0 win against Atalanta Bergamo. Due to the controversial Inacio transfer, the Italians even boycotted the official bosses’ dinner with BVB.

The sporting duel between Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta Bergamo ended with a 2-0 victory for BVB – but off the pitch, the conflict is escalating further. Around the Champions League playoff first leg, a tangible dispute has erupted between the two clubs, which has now reached several levels: a coaching spat, transfer accusations – and a demonstratively canceled officials’ dinner.

At the center of it all is Atalanta’s CEO Luca Percassi. The 45-year-old demonstratively skipped the obligatory UEFA lunch with the Dortmund officials on matchday. The background is the transfer of young talent Samuele Inacio in the summer of 2024, who moved from the Italians’ youth academy to Dortmund.

Percassi makes serious accusations against Borussia and speaks of clear misconduct in the transfer of the then 16-year-old. “There was a lack of respect. It is regrettable that a club of this size does not want to resolve the matter,” the Atalanta boss explained to Sky Italia. He was particularly clear regarding his club’s youth development: “Dortmund cannot simply come and steal from Atalanta’s youth academy. This is an open wound.”

Percassi did not provide concrete details as to exactly how a possible violation of FIFA regulations might have occurred. However, he said the case has already been submitted to the world governing body. In his view, the legal situation is clear: “From a legal perspective, we are convinced we are in the right.”

Atalanta Questions BVB’s Inacio Transfer

Despite the boycott, Percassi said there was still an exchange with Dortmund’s sporting CEO Lars Ricken. “I still met with the CEO of Borussia and explained the situation to him again,” said Percassi. In Dortmund, Inacio is considered one of the club’s most exciting talents. The 17-year-old has already moved up to the second team, has been included several times in the Bundesliga and Champions League squads, and was at least able to take a seat on the bench in the 2-0 win against his former club.

Photo: IMAGO

There was also tension between the coaches after the final whistle. During the handshake between BVB coach Niko Kovac and Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino, the atmosphere seemed noticeably frosty. Kovac later expressed his confusion over his counterpart’s reaction: “I shook his hand. I don’t know what he was complaining about. I didn’t understand it.”

Furthermore, the Dortmund coach rejected the accusation that his team had complained too often to the referee. “I didn’t perceive it that way. It was completely normal on both sides. After all, we are Southerners.” Why Atalanta is publicly escalating the matter again about a year and a half after the transfer remains unclear.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.