In addition to strife over fan attendance, Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta Bergamo are also having administrative issues. Ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League fixture in Italy, Bergamo remain incensed about Dortmund’s perceived plucking of attacking prospect Samuele Inácio in the summer of 2024. The Serie A club feels that the Bundesliga outfit’s recruitment of the Italy U18 international ran afoul of FIFA regulations. A complain was lodged.
A planned lunch between BVB and Atalanta officials was cancelled last week over the lingering resentment. Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi publicly complained to Sky Italia about the matter. Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken – in the same interview during which he spoke on the fan boycott – also confirmed to reporters today that tomorrow’s traditional UCL dinner with club executives would also not proceed.
“For me, it’s a very serious matter that Borussia [Dortmund] were never willing to sit down and clarify a matter we have brought before FIFA,” Percassi told Sky Italy last week. “We cancelled the lunch and I’ve explained the matter to managing director [Ricken] again. We’ll see if they want to approach the matter like a mature club.
“Atalanta did not deserve this,” Percassi continued. “They [Dortmund] acted [to recruit] Inácio earlier than they were allowed to. Clubs must respect each other. How can Borussia Dortmund take a talent like that away from Atalanta? From a legal point of view, we are convinced that we are correct.
“From a moral point of view, I leave it up to everyone to judge this matter for themselves,” Percassi concluded. “We are attached to all the young people we train. He has worked in our youth academy since he was seven years old.”
“The lunch last week was cancelled and the dinner tomorrow likely will be as well,” RIcken told reporters at the airport today. “We submitted all the necessarily documentation to FIFA necessary for the transfer of a minor. It’s weird that the issue is being brought up now. We’ve not experienced something like this before.“
A year-and-a-half after moving to Germany, the now 17-year-old still mostly features for the BVB U19s. Inácio made one appearance for the Dortmund reserves in the fourth tier Regionalliga this season, logging 30 minutes as a substitute in a match against Sportfreunde Lotte at the end of last month.
Inácio did join the Dortmund squad for the USA-hosted Club World Cup this summer, but remained unused on the bench in four of the team’s tournament fixtures. The young attacker has made three of head coach Niko Kovac’s Bundesliga matchday squads this year, yet hasn’t made his debut yet.
Die Schwarzgelben have registered Inácio for their 2026 Champions League squad. The Bergamo native was on the bench during last week’s UCL first round playoff leg against his hometown club.
“If he remains healthy, he will have a really great career,” Kovac said of Inácio whilst commenting on both him and his young Italian compatriot Luca Reggiani during the post-match press conference last week. “Because, even at 17, I already see in him many of the qualities that a very, very good footballer will have in the future.”
