Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Bergamo club until 2031, the club announced. The new three-year deal extends his previous commitment, which was due to expire in 2028.
Scalvini, currently on international duty with Italy in the Nations League, described his connection to the club in deeply personal terms. Speaking on Atalanta's YouTube channel, he called the club "a real family" and said he feels at home even with the staff working behind the scenes.
"With Luca Percassi I have a closer relationship, he has seen me grow since I was a child," the 22-year-old said, acknowledging the chief executive's role in his development. Scalvini entered the Atalanta youth system in 2015 after time in Brescia's academy and at his local club in Palazzolo sull'Oglio. He made his Serie A debut against Udinese on 24 October 2021.
A product of Zingonia
The club's official statement praised Scalvini as "a son of Zingonia" — the name given to players who graduated from the club's youth academy at the Centro Bortolotti training complex. That facility has been central to Atalanta's model under the Percassi family's ownership. Luca Percassi, as chief executive, oversaw the launch of the Accademia Atalanta in 2017, a €4.5M investment that expanded housing and training infrastructure for young players.
Scalvini is one of four academy graduates to establish themselves as regulars in the first team over the past five seasons, alongside goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi and defender Matteo Ruggeri. He has already made 144 appearances as a professional for Atalanta, scoring 8 goals and providing 6 assists across all competitions.
From Dublin dream to long-term future
The defender pointed to Atalanta's Europa League triumph in Dublin — a "night I will never forget" — as the high point of his career. The club's statement referenced the same match, describing the journey from youth football to "the roof of Europe."
Scalvini also credited Cristiano Giuntoli, Atalanta's new sporting director, for his role in securing the renewal. He thanked coaches and teammates from the youth sector through to the first team, saying he grew into "the person and the footballer I am" alongside them.
Addressing the fans, Scalvini said players honor the club's motto — "la maglia sudata sempre" (the shirt, always earned with sweat). He said he hoped other youth players could follow his path from the training pitches to the first team, recalling how he used to watch senior players train from beyond the hedge as a boy.
