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Atalanta Bergamo goes under the American flag! In a press release published this Saturday on its sitethe Italian club announced that the Percassi family, owner since 2010, sold 55% of the shares to the Bain Capital investment fund, led by the American Stephen Pagliuca, also co-owner of the Boston Celtics NBA franchise.
“The Percassi family will remain the main sole shareholder and the governance will be an expression of an equal partnership: Antonio and Luca Percassi will continue to occupy the positions of president and general manager of Atalanta respectively, while Stephen Pagliuca will be appointed co-president of the club” explains the give. According to The Teamthe transaction is between 400 and 500 million euros.
The full press release
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio SpA (“Atalanta” or the “Club”) announces the signing of a partnership agreement between the Percassi family and a group of investors led by Stephen Pagliuca, managing partner and co-owner of the Boston Celtics, as well as co-chairman of Bain Capital, one of the world’s leading investment funds.
The agreement provides for the entry of new investors with a total participation of 55% in the share capital of La Dea Srl (“La Dea”). The Percassi family will retain the 45% share. The Dea is the sub-holding of the Percassi family which holds around 86% of Atalanta’s share capital.
The Percassi family will remain the main single shareholder and the governance will be the expression of an equal partnership: Antonio and Luca Percassi will continue to hold the positions of president and general manager of Atalanta respectively, while Stephen Pagliuca will be appointed co-president of the club.
The group of new investors includes leading professionals with extensive experience in football and sport in general. It is also for this reason that the partnership aims to strengthen the club and the team, with the intention of further improving the sporting and economic results – in addition to the remarkable results – achieved so far.
The commitment is to secure an even more international future for the club, increasing brand awareness outside of Europe, expanding the talent network Atalanta has access to and opening doors to new development opportunities. commercial partnerships as well as the use of innovative technologies for the management – sporting and financial – of the club.
All this in the declared desire never to let go of Atalanta’s strong roots in the Bergamo region and the close ties with its fans.
Antonio Percassi, President of Atalanta, said: “We have taken this opportunity, together with my family, with the aim of growing our team by choosing to remain linked to the Club, which in more than ten years has brought results that perhaps nobody would have expected of a provincial team. Atalanta, in whose ranks I played in the 1960s, is in my heart as in that of the thousands of supporters who support it. We have great challenges ahead and I am convinced that partnering with such prestigious investors will only accelerate our growth.
Stephen Pagliuca, future co-chairman of Atalanta, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Percassi family and support the future development of the club. Atalanta and the Boston Celtics share the same sporting values: the team spirit and a unique bond with their fans and communities. We believe that the Percassi family has built a very solid foundation on which to work together for an overall strengthening of the brand, with the aim of fostering diversification and growth of income, allowing the club to become increasingly competitive on an Italian and international scale”.
The Percassi family was assisted by BofA Securities as financial advisor, Studio Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici as legal advisor and Deloitte as business advisor.
The group of investors was assisted by Legance and Kirkland & Ellis as legal advisors, Alvarez & Marsal as business and financial advisor and Pirola, Zei, Pennuto & Partners as tax advisor.
to summarize
Atalanta Bergamo was bought by an American investment fund, led by American Stephen Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics NBA franchise. The Percassi family, owner of the club since 2010, sold 55% of the club.
