The man with the golden mittens: Carnesecchi is the Lete POTM of August-September!
Voted by the Nerazzurri fans on the official Atalanta App
The first Lete Player of The Month goes to our number 29 Marco Carnesecchi! Bucking the usual script, the kick-off for the 2025/26 Hall of Fame didn't come from the midfield line, but from the penalty box instead. The Rimini keeper, runner-up in last year's Player of the Season race, slammed the door shut, delivering a clean sheet worth its weight in gold -and the very first landmark olff this new chapter under the Lete banner.
And so the race for Player of the Season 2025/26 is officially underway; not with a thunderbolt into the top corner, but with a lightning-fast reflex. The first big highlight belongs to Marco, who mesmerized two top contenders from the spot: on one side, the ever-reliable Mario Pašalić, and on the other, the breakout star Honest Ahanor.
Let's get straight into the heart of it with two defining moments from the past couple of months of our keeper.Chief among them, the two penalty saves: first in the Champions League, where he denied Barcola -yet another raising of the shields in a towering performance which, beyond the scoreline, helped stem the tide of PSG’s onslaught-; then, just three days later in the Serie A, where he defied one of football's oldest unwritten rules (the ex's goal curse) with a decisive save on Zapata to preserve a clean sheet on hostile ground.
Rounding off this hat-trick of top-tier performances was a brilliant display in the dying minutes of his second away game in Turin—this time at Juventus—where he shut down every push from the Bianconeri.
In between, the Atalanta shot-stopper showcased his trademark clutch saves, repeatedly coming up big across both Serie A and the Champions League, firmly establishing himself as the backbone of the Atalanta rearguard so far this season.
As basketball legend John Madden famously said, “Offense sells tickets, but defense wins games.” By that measure, Marco has taken home the full prize: both the match (against his teammates in the race for this months’ MVP title) and the ticket— a golden one indeed, which earned him a front-page spot as the undisputed protagonist of the Player of the Month Lete.
Runner-up honours for an undiniable SuperMario Pašalić! August and September were months to remember for the Croatian, who in this season's early stages has once again proven - if any proof was needed- his knack to don the hero's cape when it counts. A thorn in the opponents' sides not just "from the waist up", but all over the pitch, epitomizing the perfect box-to-box midfielder.
His first highlight came with the assist for Scamacca’s opening goal against Pisa. Just seven days later, the Croatian midfielder left his mark with a genuine gem, scoring Atalanta’s temporary lead at the Tardini on a special night—his 300th appearance in the Nerazzurri shirt.
Sticking with the theme of goals with a capital G and records going hand in hand, a trademark of our number 8 as of late, the spotlight then shifted to the Champions League. In the New Balance Arena's official debut, Mario confirmed his creed as go-to hero in the big European nights:
winning a penalty and scoring the crucial 2-1 winner, sealing the victory and etching his name once again in the Club’s history. That goal made Mario Atalanta’s all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, cementing his legendary status and extending his already illustrious legacy with the club.
Rounding off a stellar start are the numbers: 670 minutes played, second only to Carnesecchi and the highest among outfield players.
A month of milestones and outstanding performances, in which Mario Pašalić further solidified his status as an Atalanta cornerstone and carved his name even deeper into the history of the Club.
We round off the podium with this month's third-place finisher: Honest Ahanor! Another lap "skipped"in a standout September and a decidedly "sweated" bronze, for our no.69, who had to go neck-and-neck all the way to the checkered flag with a heavyweight contender such as Kamaldeen Sulemana...
A literal photo-finish win that speaks volumers about just how much the youngster's September surge captured the hearts of the Nerazzurri faithful. What won them over wasn’t just his grit and hunger, but above all that relentless, never-back-down attitude — the true embodiment of the Orobic spirit — turning pressure into positive force.
Complimenti a Marcone, "Chi ben comincia è a metà dell'opera”! Tifosi nerazzurri, appuntamento al mese prossimo per la nuova sfida del Player of the Month Lete!