Gianpaolo Bellini ushering in the “La Scuola allo Stadio” 2024/25
The black-and-blue legend hosted the maiden gathering of the 22nd edition
During his footballing career, he sported two and two colours only, earning his merits to don the captain's armband first and then rising to the status of stalwart legend of the Club. To this day, no other Nerazzurri player can ever flaunt more league appearances (398), more official matches (435) and more Serie A game (281, a record shared with Stefano Angeleri): we are of course talking about Gianpaolo Bellini, who stepped up to the Gewiss Stadium bleachers to officially cut the ribbon on the first gathering of "La Scuola allo Stadio" 2024/25.
Bellini, who has now taken up a managing role at Atalanta Academy, answered the questions and satisfied the curiosity of the over 200 students (a total of 10 classes) from the first-grade secondary schools of Torre Boldone and from the Bergamo-based "Imiberg", "Savoia", "Nullo" and "Lotto" schools.
"I had no 'Plan A' or 'Plan B', to my eyes both were first options- with these words, Gianpaolo answered the question about his choice to embark on his footballing journey-. After finishing the scientific high school I did set out to apply to architecture school. Since I was already training with the first team since eleventh grade, I then opted to pursue my sporting career. Nonetheless, as long as I had two options on the table, namely football and education, I did my best to nurture them both with the same effort: to my eyes, they were equally valuable".
"I joined Atalanta's ranks at a very young age when I was 10 -Bellini recalled-. My father wasn't too happy about it because he saw football as an encroachement on school time. In addition to it being a straining commitment, especially considering that I lived in Sarnico back in the day and sessions were hold in Bergamo, namely at the Utili training pitch. He then cut a deal with my then head coach (and mentor) Bonifaccio: no sooner had I gotten poor grades, I would have left Atalanta 'effective immediately'. Which, as you all might already know, never happened, because I have always done well in school".
On Friday October 11 took place the first meeting of the 22nd edition of “La Scuola allo Stadio Project”, the socio-educational initiative promoted and organised by Atalanta and mainly aimed at all primary and at the secondary school students. The project is renowned for its educational value and has long been recognised by the Osservatorio Nazionale sulle Manifestazioni Sportive del Ministero dell'Interno (National Observatory for Sporting Events of the Ministry of the Interior).
The 22nd edition of "La Scuola allo Stadio", the socio-educational project created and endorsed by the Club, will host 10 meetings across the whole sporting season: with the maiden get-together now concluded, the countdown to the second gathering is already on. Save the date for Friday, October 18.