A welcome reunion in Bournemouth
The Technical Director of the Cherries is a former Academy player
The beauty of football also lies in its unpredictability and in its ability to always find a way and break free from the monotony of schemes and frameworks both on and off the pitch.
And so it happens that the team where you took your first footballing steps, namely Atalanta, happens to play the club where you're currently holding the role of Technical Director, which would be AFC Bournemouth, for a pre-season friendly on an afternoon of late July.
The man of the hour is none other than Richard Hughes, the 44-year-old Scotsman native of Glasgow, who, from age 11 to 18, was enlisted as a player of the black-and-blue Academy, taken under the wings of the likes of Savoldi, Finardi, Gustinetti, Modanese, Vavassori and Prandelli.
On his stroll through memory lane, Richard Hughes wished to recall his personal and professional upbringing in Bergamo: "While Titti Savoldi was the one who first "nurtured" my football, Cesare Prandelli has been my greatest "mentor", the one who spurred my growth as a footballer the most. My whole career as a player has been constantly tied hand in glove with all the teachings and the values Atalanta passed on to me: their renowned sense of discipline and their sportsmanship, not solely from a tactical standpoint, have now become part of my everyday personal and professional ethos. Deep down, I take pride in considering myself a fellow Bergamasco. This friendly between Bournemouth and Atalanta holds a magical significance that touches me deeply: words alone cannot describe all the great emotions this match is bound to stir up".
As part of the welcome party that ushered Atalanta in Bournemouth on the eve of the friendly, Richard Hughes, Technical Director at AFC Bournemouth, and Neill Blake, CEO of the Cherries, met up with Umberto Marino, General Director of the Nerazzurri.
In the cover picture, from left to right, Richard Hughes, Umberto Marino and Neill Blake