Pagliuca: I want Atalanta to be ‘at the top’ of a multi-club network | OneFootball

Atalanta co-owner Stephen Pagliuca revealed that he aims to build a network of football clubs with La Dea at its summit, following a model already used by City Football Group and Red Bull.

The American businessman recently spoke with La Gazzetta dello Sport about his ambition to make the club grow ‘year after year’, their newly refurbished stadium and the recent controversy involving coach Gian Piero Gasperini and team star Ademola Lookman.

However, beyond keeping the performances on the pitch at the highest possible level, Pagliuca also has a broader vision, which includes the prospect of developing a multi-club system which would see Atalanta placed at its top, benefitting from the ‘synergy’ with other teams belonging to the same network.

Pagliuca considers multi-club ownership with Atalanta ‘at the top’

“Atalanta are our main team, and we are proud of what we have achieved, both in Italy and in Europe,” Pagliuca said during the Financial Times Business of Football Summit, as quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“But we are also looking at other clubs and the synergy that such a system brings. The investments made by Red Bull and the group around Manchester City have demonstrated the benefits of that model.

epa11906162 Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman reacts after failing to score from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs 2nd leg match between Atalanta BC and Club Brugge KV at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 18 February 2025. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

“What you obviously don’t want is to have clubs in direct competition with each other, so we will have to look at other countries and different levels. But I think it would be positive for Atalanta to be at the top of such a system.”

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, the reigning Europa League champions, sit third in Serie A, just three points behind leaders Inter. The upcoming Serie A clash between the Nerazzurri and second-placed Napoli offers La Dea a chance to close the gap on at least one of them.