Since Michael Lewis’ seminal book Moneyball was published in 2003, the idea of professional sports teams using the strategy to build their teams has been used many clubs with a range of results from good to bad.
Looking at the Premier League, the strategy has been in use for clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur. Yet, those teams also had the incredible finances to pay for some of the world’s biggest and best players.
Cast an eye over to Serie A and the league’s current third-place team, and there is one club that have used Moneyball to create a team that competes with – not just Italy’s best – Europe’s elite clubs.
Atalanta qualified for the Champions League for the first time ever in 2019 and, after making a remarkable comeback in the group stage, are now preparing for the competition’s quarterfinals against oil-rich Paris Saint-Germain.
The club are currently third in the league, nine points back from first-placed Juventus, and continue to disrupt the Italian top-flight.
Led by coach Gian Piero Gasperini, a man once said to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s choice as a replacement at Manchester United, Atalanta have punched well above their weight.
Atalanta have been compared to English football club Burnley in terms of their size and financial might. While that may be true, this is a club seeking to become more with a fervent set of supporters. Atalanta have long been praised for their academy, yet now the club are performing just as well at the top level.
Perhaps one of the more remarkable aspects of Atalanta’s success is that they were relegated to Serie B three times in the last 20 years. In 2003, 2006, and 2010, Atalanta were demoted from Serie A to Serie B.
In February, as Atalanta’s success in domestic and continental competitions soared, it was revealed they are spending just €36 million on player salaries this campaign. It is the 13th highest wage bill of Serie A’s 20 teams.
In comparison, Atalanta’s Champions League quarterfinal opponents, PSG, pay Neymar €30m a season. Just think about that. Atalanta punch above their weight with a whole team paid nearly as much as Neymar. Meanwhile, PSG underachieve paying Neymar nearly as much as Atalanta’s entire squad.
Atalanta have scored the most goals in Serie A this season with 87 after 33 matches. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus have scored 67 times and unlike Atalanta, the Bianconeri have just one player in Serie A’s top 10 goal scorers rankings. Atalanta have three.
Under Gasperini, Atalanta have been an amazing club and money is now being reinvested. Their Gewiss Stadium was one of the oldest and most rundown in all of Serie A. It was so rundown, Atalanta had to play all of their Champions League matches in 2019-20 at Milan’s San Siro.
The venue is being renovated to bring it up to par with other Serie A grounds. Meanwhile, the club’s training ground has been overhauled. It is a remarkable story and certainly one that deserves to be written into a book just like Lewis’ Moneyball.