The woman on the Atalanta badge and the incredible connection to Real Madrid

Los Blancos face the Italian club in a crucial Champions League match, and there is more that connects 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 playing style, combined with remarkable results in Serie A and continental competitions – including their victory in the last Europa League – has made Real Madrid's next opponent a club that is experiencing constant growth both on and off the pitch. Yet many are unaware of the story behind the name and crest, one of the most unique in the world of football.

The Bergamo club was founded in 1907 by a group of students, who named it after the heroine of the archaic cycle of Greek mythology.

Who is Atalanta in Greek mythology?

A brave and beautiful woman, Atalanta was known for her exceptional hunting skills. Her father, Schoeneus, had only wanted sons and left 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, devoting herself to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and avoiding marriage because an oracle predicted 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 beat her in a foot race. If the man lost, she would have to kill him.

Atalanta defeated 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 and eventually defeated her.

The couple lived happily until one day they entered a shrine 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 Los Blancos fans celebrate victories.

The founders of Atalanta wanted to imbue the club with the courage and speed of the heroine, who is always depicted on their crest with wavy hair, as if running. And the Gasperini team honors that legacy now more than ever.

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