It’s with great sadness to reignite the blog and lead with such a tragic story. As most have heard, Atalanta Youth Member, Andrea Rinaldi suddenly passed away on May 11th after fighting bravely for 3 days with a brain aneurysm. On loan at Serie D side Legnano, everything being said about the young man demonstrates what a model teammate and young man Rinaldi was and could have continued to be.
In a statement from the club, Atalanta stated “always available and positive, he knew how to make himself well-like by everyone. Just as on the pitch you were always the last to surrender, this time too you fought all your might not to fly away too soon. But that kind smile of yours will always remain alive in the hearts of those who have had the good fortune to meet you.”
While this story comes in the wake of the world, Italy, and Bergamo overcoming the horrible effects of COVID-19, it is a reminder of the fragility of life, and how we can each do something each day to make ourselves better and live our lives to the fullest, even during quarantine. Rinaldi exemplified this mantra, and reminds us of each and everyone of us is capable of doing something good for ourselves and others.
What really drew me to Atalanta was the family atmosphere that the team fosters. From the academy all the way up to the first team, the values of the club exemplify what it means to grow not just in a sporting fashion but as a human as well. Everything I read seems to indicate that Rinaldi exmplified what it meant to not just be an Atalantini but a great human being as well. Times like this prove what a family truly is, and I’m positive Andrea Rinaldi will always belong to the Atalanta family. Riposa in Pase, Rinaldi.
