Another Champions League night in Bergamo, another historic chapter for the city, and another first-time meeting for the Dea. Atalanta and Chelsea have never faced each other before — but among the Nerazzurri executives sits an unexpected “former Blue”: Luca Percassi.
Today the club’s CEO, Percassi once stepped onto the pitch wearing Chelsea’s shirt between 1998 and 2000. It’s a curious story that intertwines past and present: the young defender from Atalanta’s academy, hand-picked by Gianluca Vialli, now prepares to face the club that launched him into professional football.
From Bergamo’s youth system to Vialli’s Chelsea — the “Little Italy” years
The turning point came in the summer of 1998. Having risen through Atalanta’s academy, the versatile defender — capable of playing both centrally and wide — was included in the deal that brought Samuele Dalla Bona to London. Gianluca Vialli, then Chelsea’s player-manager, was impressed by Percassi’s potential and wanted to evaluate him within a squad rich in champions.
That team became known as a small “Little Italy” in London. Alongside Vialli were icons like Gianfranco Zola, Pierluigi Casiraghi, and Roberto Di Matteo. Percassi found himself training in a competitive and influential environment, and even spent time with the reserves, playing alongside a young John Terry. For a player just beginning his professional journey, it was a formative and unforgettable experience.
Two seasons, two trophies — but very little playing time
During his two-year spell at Chelsea, Percassi collected noteworthy silverware despite scarce playing opportunities.
The Blues won both the 1998 UEFA Super Cup and the 2000 FA Cup, achievements he was part of as a squad member. Actual minutes, however, were few: only two official appearances, totaling 14 minutes on the pitch.
He made his debut in a 5–0 League Cup win at Highbury in October 1998, coming on for the final minutes, and later appeared briefly in an FA Cup match in January 2000.
The fierce competition within that star-studded squad inevitably limited his chances.
Return to Italy and the transition from the pitch to the boardroom
At the end of the 1999–2000 season, Percassi returned to Italy, signing with Monza. After additional spells in the lower divisions, he chose to retire at only 24 to pursue a career in business — following in the footsteps of his father, entrepreneur Antonio Percassi.
When the Percassi family took over Atalanta in 2010, Luca returned home, this time in a suit rather than a kit. He has been CEO of Atalanta since then, playing a central role in the club’s transformation, and today also serves as vice-president of Lega Serie A.
Under his leadership, the club has undergone an extraordinary rise, both structurally and competitively.
The Atalanta renaissance and a symbolic European reunion
With Luca Percassi steering the club’s development, Atalanta has authored one of the most remarkable success stories in Italian football: sustained top-four finishes, Champions League qualifications, and the historic Europa League victory in 2023.
This season’s Champions League campaign further confirms the club’s growth, with Atalanta battling at the top of the group alongside Arsenal and Chelsea.
For Percassi, facing Chelsea in Europe carries an emotional weight unlike any other match.
Nearly three decades after wearing the Blues’ shirt, he now meets his former club as a leader of a thriving Atalanta project — a full-circle moment that intertwines personal history with the club’s European ambitions.
As Percassi himself has noted, this will “never be just another match”. Instead, it’s a reunion with the past and a testament to the journey that shaped him — from a promising young defender in London to one of the architects behind the modern Atalanta miracle.
