Dispute between Atalanta & Dortmund over Inacio explained

A simmering dispute between Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund has spilled into the open, with the Italian club having filed a formal complaint to FIFA over the departure of teenage forward Samuele Inacio.

The 17-year-old, son of former Atalanta and Napoli striker Pià, left Bergamo for Dortmund in 2024 without any transfer fee or compensation changing hands, with reports via CalcioMercato.

Under FIFA’s regulations governing the movement of minor players, clubs are not entitled to a fee when a player under the age of 18 moves abroad, and Dortmund used that framework to acquire the youngster without entering into any financial agreement with Atalanta.

Atalanta upset with Dortmund over nature of Inacio deal

It is a move that has left a bitter taste in Bergamo. Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi has made his feelings abundantly clear, pointedly snubbing the UEFA lunch at both the home and away legs of the clubs’ recent European encounter in what amounted to a public statement of displeasure. His words on the matter were measured but damning.

“For me it is a very serious matter that Dortmund never made themselves available to sit down with us to clarify and resolve this issue, which we have consequently taken to FIFA,” Percassi said.

“From a legal standpoint, we are convinced we are in the right. From a moral standpoint, I will let everyone judge for themselves.”

Luca Percassi Vice Chairman of Atalanta (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

Atalanta’s grievance centres not on the legality of the move, which technically complied with FIFA’s minor player regulations, but on what they see as a failure of professional courtesy and good faith from the German club.

The fact that Dortmund never sought to negotiate any form of agreement, however informal, is what appears to have caused the most damage to the relationship between the two clubs.

Inacio himself is considered one of the more exciting young Italian talents of his generation, making the manner of his departure all the more frustrating for Atalanta, who had invested significantly in his development.

With the FIFA complaint now formally lodged, the dispute looks set to run considerably longer before any resolution is reached.