It didnвЂ™t matter what you did, who you were or how you lined up you werenвЂ™t going to win.

Unfair BrillianceД®very match against Atalanta was torture, costing me not only league titles but in one case, the Champions League, through what felt simply unfair. Thankfully, you could afford to pick up either Zauri or Dabo (long before the latter flopped at Manchester City, although you probably wouldnвЂ™t sign Joey Barton to partner him) for just under ВЈ10million, meaning you could give Atalanta a taste of their own medicine. Zauri, in particular, was an excellent signing yet isnвЂ™t remembered as fondly as the likes of Mike Duff or Marko Rehmer. Damiano Zenoni was the box-to-box midfielder who popped up all over the place with some of the most well-rounded attributes on the game, and Luciano Zauri had an annoying amount of goals in him for someone who was supposed to be a wing-back, bombing up and down the flanks with his excellent physical stats. Ousmane Dabo was as strong as an ox and the perfect midfield general with 20 strength and high ratings for work-rate, stamina, tackling, aggression and determination. If Doni and Rossini didnвЂ™t have their way with you, youвЂ™d likely never make it past this midfield trio. It didnвЂ™t matter where you went, though: if you were competing in European competition, you were going to end up facing Atalanta and Doni at some point.Д®ven if you tried to save England from Sven and his insistent use of Nick Barmby, youвЂ™d run into Doni and Italy вЂ“ and get destroyed. As attacking midfielders go, he was among the best in the game, strong in just about every attribute that you would want from your long-haired, low-socked Italian playmaker.Д«eing on the receiving end of one of his 89th-minute free-kicks or nonsense penalties was enough to consider never playing in Italy again. Then attacking midfielder Cristiano Doni would work his magic like the shit he was, and before you knew it youвЂ™d have lost 3-1 with the entire Atalanta team rated nines and 10s.Дoni was a true menace and an excellent signing if you could prise him away from Atalanta (good luck affording him). The minutes would pass by, youвЂ™d naively accept that a draw is fine and bring Mike Duff and Ibrahim Said on to sure things up. You would likely take the lead early on only for them to equalise before half-time, usually through Rossini. To top it off, he was partnered by Gianni Comandini вЂ“ rapid, could run all day, very tricky.Д®very game against Atalanta had a similar feel. It didnвЂ™t matter who you had at the back вЂ“ you could use the editor to give the ageing Aldair 20 pace or even sign Taribo West вЂ“ you were going to concede to Rossini.ДЄs the opposing manager, the problem was that he was also surrounded by players that were excellent at giving him the ball. He was strong, tall, quick, excellent in the air and just as good at goal poaching. On Championship Manager, however, he was every great striker rolled into one with a price-tag that even Manchester CityвЂ™s owners would raise an eyebrow at. Up top, they had Fausto Rossini, a man who in real life scored just 32 times in his career. But it wasnвЂ™t the case, from defenders who made essential game cheatcode Maxim Tsigalko look like Kevin Kyle to midfielders that won possession back constantly. They had Massimo Taibi in goal, which should be an indication of a team that anyone should be beating. Yet despite all of the hours put into the game, there was always one team that, regardless of how good mine was or how badly I had cheated, I could never beat: Atalanta.

ItвЂ™s a rough estimate, but I played CM01/02 for over 5,000 hours in total, taking Darlington to the Champions League final or gifting Roberto Baggio another Scudetto at Brescia. However, if you have ever played Championship Manager 01/02, youвЂ™ll know that Atalanta were вЂ“ at least on the game вЂ“ the single most infuriating team you could ever come across. For any neutral, Atalanta had to be one of the teams they got behind this season.

With 98 goals, Atalanta broke the record for the most goals in a single Serie A season, finishing just five points behind Juventus, while also coming within minutes of the Champions League semi-finals.

In no small part, it was thanks to their gung-ho attacking philosophy, spearheaded by Josip Ilicic, Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel, who combined to score 59 goals in all competitions. If there was one team that won their way into the hearts of football fans throughout the world in 2019-20, it was Atalanta. They may be everyoneвЂ™s second-favourite team now, but the Atalanta side of Championship Manager 01/02 was infuriating to face.

Championship manager 01/02 fiorentina