The CEO of the Emilia club, discussing transfers and the club's future, said: "We had to sell players after failing to qualify for European competitions. Rowe was already showing restlessness during training camp, and for us, the team comes first. Orsolini? We value him highly. Saputo? The owner has always supported us."

During this transfer window, four key players—Lucumí, Rowe, Freuler, and Santiago Castro—left the team, leading to considerable skepticism about the club. The team currently has zero points and zero goals in the league, appearing noticeably weaker overall. CEO Fenucci responded to these concerns after a press conference. "The strategy we adopted cannot be separated from what we've done over the years," Fenucci said. "In the first investment cycle, we invested 280 million euros but did not recoup the same amount. We achieved results, but because we missed out on European competitions, we had to make trade-offs with some players. Team costs were significantly higher than revenue, so a capital injection of about 15 million euros was needed. This led to these sales. We want to preserve the team's enthusiasm, but sustainability issues must also be considered."

Rowe had conflicts

The conversation turned to specific players. "Rowe? We tried multiple times to keep him, but considering that teamwork is paramount here and he was already showing restlessness during training camp, we ultimately decided to let him go. He had also shown some conduct issues in the past, and then gave further signals during training. We place great importance on conduct here; respect for teammates is a basic requirement. We talked to him, but the situation became increasingly difficult, and he was eventually excluded from training. We completed this deal with Atalanta. As for our striking situation, Dovbyk is working hard to regain his best physical condition, and his and Piccoli's contributions are both important. Mambula has different characteristics from Rowe, but he will be useful. Our goal is to finish in the top ten and remain competitive. As for the young player, we chose to keep him here, let the coach get familiar with him first, and then see in January if and how he can be utilized. Orsolini's contract renewal? The process was difficult, as there were many clauses and bonuses involved, and it did take some time. We value him highly."

Saputo? Long-term plan

The outside world repeatedly asks: Does Saputo intend to step back? "We will not stop investing," Fenucci said, "and we will continue to do so in the future. The owner has given us an annual budget. I don't like the word 'transition period'; we like to win, week after week. We invest and buy more than we sell. Roughly speaking, our revenue and expenditure are approximately 85% and 145% respectively. But we must pursue sustainable football, and we also believe we are competitive. Saputo? Our ownership is long-term; we are on a path, and the club has always supported us. We have entered a new investment cycle: we will maintain a sustainable project, but we believe the team has strength and a chance to finish in the top ten. There will be additional investments, but Italian football loses 1 billion euros annually, and this must be addressed. However, we have indeed invested in youth development, because that's how Atalanta built itself, as everyone knows. If Librizzi becomes our seventh-place midfielder, we should be happy. If Raimondo performs well at Frosinone, we will also be happy."

Sartori and contract renewals

Furthermore, with the rising renovation costs of the Stadio Dall'Ara, the issue of a new stadium has been raised again. "The stadium will be an important asset, and I hope to clarify as soon as possible whether this project can proceed. The relevant parties will be Saputo and the exhibition organizers, who also want the stadium to have multi-functional uses. We need to determine what the costs will be; we've already begun working with the designers. A new stadium is a potential way to increase revenue." The contracts of technical director Sartori and sporting director Di Vaio are both set to expire next June. "We'll discuss it then, and of course, we hope to continue working together because this team works very well together," Fenucci concluded.

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