It has been some time coming, but Atalanta has finally made the appointment of Lee Congerton as its Head of International Sporting Development. Prior to joining Atalanta, Congerton held a similar role at Leicester City, leading the Foxes in some big money transfers over the past few years. Some of his transfers have failed (eg. Ayoze Perez), but he has also had some huge hits – including marquee defensive signings in Wesley Fofana and ex-Atalantino Timothy Castagne. The rumor has been swirling since the Christmas break, but the breaking news now becomes even more interesting with Atalanta’s new ownership team.
Listening to Leicester City fans would suggest that Atalanta is getting a raw deal with Congerton’s appointment. Selectivity bias is a hell of a drug, and once you digest the sobering reminder that it is impossible to have a perfect transfer record – Congerton joining Atalanta is a logical next step in the club’s growth. Now that Atalanta is majority owned by Stephen Pagliuca and his American consortium, all the dominoes fall into place as to why Congerton’s appointment was bubbling up in late 2021. The Percassis had reportedly been meeting with potential buyers for half-a-year, so there was naturally parallel discussions going on to bring in new ideas within the leadership ranks.
Going through Atalanta’s organization chart it was not a surprise that each individual listed was Italian. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this for a provincial Italian club. But with growth obviously an intention for the Percassis, Pagliuca, and others – a differing strategic viewpoint is a logical first step to diversify the ideas flowing through the board room. Leicester City was transformed into a desirable transfer destination for many of Europe’s young stars. Regardless if the transfers were successful or not, Congerton’s behind the scenes work to develop the relationships among the footballing networks and promote the sporting ambitions of Leicester is undeniable.
Leicester still isn’t far removed from its historical Premier League victory where it relied on lower league players to win its improbable trophy. But Leicester didn’t just fall off a cliff after riding high on the euphoria of winning the Premier League. The club has cemented itself right below the ‘Big 6,’ and the it all has to do with club smartly developing a repeatable buying and selling model. Much like the Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Leicester City model, it is not unreasonable to say that Atalanta strategizes similarly, just with smaller financial stakes. With cash injection potentially coming from Pagliuca, and a man who has developed the international clout of a squad with a similar philosophy, there is a lot to be excited about with Congerton and the potential he has to take Atalanta to the next level.
As we all continue to try and decode whether Congerton’s appointment makes sense, it is most appropriate to remember that his job will expand far beyond his transfer record. Given that transfer record is the easiest data point for us fans to consume – and criticize – it is easy to gravitate to it. But just remember all the behind scenes the work Congerton will spend a majority of his time focusing on that is unquantifiable. Developing relationships with agents and scouts in areas Atalanta doesn’t have a strong presence (notably England and France), equipping the team with an even stronger training and medical staff, and being the first native English speaking ambassador for the club are all essential duties of the position beyond a transfer record. Congerton’s ascent through the ranks of football’s classic clubs demonstrates the respect he commands in Europe. Undoubtedly the Percassis respect him – why else would they want him to come as the only native English speaking board member amongst a bunch of Italians? It’s a thrilling posturing move for Atalanta, and hopefully the momentum can continue to slowly transform Atalanta into a fixture on the European scene!
