Champions League
The woman on the Atalanta badge and the incredible connection to Real Madrid
Los Blancos face the Italian club in a crucial Champions League game, and there is more linking the clubs than just the sport.
Atalanta has become one of the most talked-about teams in Europe in recent years. Gasperini’s bold and aggressive style of play, coupled with remarkable results in Serie A and continental competitions – including their triumph in the last Europa League – has turned Real Madrid’s next opponent into a club experiencing constant growth both on and off the pitch. Yet, many are unaware of the story behind its name and its emblem, one of the most unique in the world of soccer.
The Bergamo-based club was founded in 1907 by a group of students, who named it after the heroine from the archaic cycle of Greek mythology.
Who is Atalanta in Greek mythology?
Atalanta, a brave and beautiful woman, was renowned for her exceptional hunting skills. Her father, Schoeneus, had only wanted sons and abandoned her on Mount Parthenion, where she was raised by a bear and a group of hunters.
She grew up strong and vowed never to marry, dedicating herself to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and avoiding marriage because an oracle had predicted that she would be turned into an animal on her wedding day. To deter suitors, she declared that she would only marry a man who could defeat her in a footrace. If the man lost, she would have to kill him.
Atalanta bested many suitors until Hippomenes appeared. He managed to outsmart her using golden apples given to him by Aphrodite, the goddess of love. During the race, he dropped the apples to distract Atalanta, ultimately defeating her.
The pair lived happily until one day they entered a sanctuary dedicated to Cybele, whose wrath they incurred by desecrating her temple with their passion. As punishment, the goddess turned them into lions and condemned them to pull her chariot for eternity. Atalanta and Hippomenes are, in fact, the two animals represented in the famous Cybele Fountain (Fuente de Cibeles) in Madrid. Where fans of Los Blancos celebrate victories.
The founders of Atalanta wanted to imbue the club with the courage and swiftness of the heroine, who has always been depicted on their crest with her hair flowing, as if running. And Gasperini’s team is honoring that legacy now more than ever.
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