2024 Xmas Match: an auction for the history books!

€54,830: such was the final tally raised from the charity auction of the 2024 Christmas Match shirts. The 14th edition of the auction, stemming from the long-lasting partnership between Atalanta and Bergamo TV (available on the DTT Channel no.15 and via streaming at www.bergamotv.it), has truly set the bar to new heights, smashing the previous record of €35,120 from 2021.

Launched on December 23, the auction wrapped up on January 13, with the final bids coming in during the live broadcast of the “TuttoAtalanta” sports show. During the conversion of promises to pay into bank transfers through the Atalanta Fund, set up by the Club with the Fondazione della Comunità Bergamasca, the total was incurred into a slight dip due to multiple winning bids, which allowed the process of re-drawing second-best offers.

Up for auction were 26 special “Christmas” shirts created for the Atalanta first team for the 2024 "Xmas Match" between Atalanta and Empoli, namely the last home game of the 2024 calendar year which saw the Nerazzurri impose themselves 3-2. Each shirt, signed by its respective player, will be handed over to the winning bidders at a private event to be held at the Gewiss Stadium next week.

The prize catch this year was shirt number 17, worn by Belgian forward Charles De Ketelaere, which fetched €4,800. No shirt sold for less than €1,000.

All proceeds will go to the Associazione Amici della Pediatria, which has been supporting the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo since 1990. The funds will be used for the "Wait & Play" project, which will create a waiting area for children visiting the hospital’s pediatric clinics.

A massive thank you to all the auction winners and everyone who threw their hat in the ring to make this initiative a resounding success. Special thanks to Matteo De Sanctis and the TuttoAtalanta team for their invaluable collaboration… THANK YOU!