by In some quarters, Atalanta’s 3-0 win at Anfield was seen as the shock of European football last week but it came as no surprise to Lee Congerton after the past two years at the Stadio di Bergamo shaping the current team .
Two of the goals came from Italian summer signing Gianluca Scamacca, with one set up by Belgian international Charles De Ketelaere, who was recruited in the same window. There was a Brazilian and a Scot in the team and the Croatian midfielder also scored. Those watching in shock may not have known that it was Rhyl-born Welshman Congerton who reformed the team.
By his own admission, Congerton has enjoyed being in the shadows during a varied but distinguished career in the world of recruiting and athletic directors. But key positions at Sunderland, Celtic and Leicester have seen a track record of increasing the value of signings. He signed Rasmus Højlund at Atalanta in a deal that rose to €20 million, then left for Manchester United in a deal worth £72 million.
The win on Merseyside was no surprise as Congerton had recruited players like he did with the signing of Højlund from Sturm Graz: at the right stage of their young careers and hungry to progress.
“The truth is they destroyed me in Italy during that time,” Congerton said Sports telegraph. “This foreigner in Italian football bought an Austrian player, born in 2003, who failed in Copenhagen. If you take away the World Cup, 10 months later, we sold it for €85 million. That is Atalanta. It is simple. They know what they are into. They rely on the academy and scouting.”
That’s not what it’s like to be a sports director all about signing Wesley Fofana after starting at St Etienne and seeing him sold for £75 million to the likes of Leicester. As Congerton explains, the key to Atalanta’s working process is the simple structure that allows them to recruit the fighting players, while the coach does his work on the training pitch.
“[Gian Piero] Gasperini is not related to any of the players,” Congerton said. “You ask him for an opinion and all he says is sell whoever you want but make sure the ones you bring in are better than the ones you sold. It is simple.
“I’ve worked with great owners and one or two not so great as you can probably imagine. Antonio Percassi, the owner, was a professional player so he understands football which is quite unique at that level of ownership. Then you have Stephen Pagliuca and his American guys who came in and really respect the local identity.
“They are business people, but they are sports people. They want to win. I asked what we want to be? They were very clear: the top six, we want to be in Europe every year and we want to make a profit.”
Congerton was involved when he arrived two years ago as head of football, having previously turned it down. “Luca Percassi (CEO) kept calling me and calling me. They came back and said I could be whoever I wanted. I asked him about being No10, captain and take the penalties! They created a role for me, a football leader, which was unique for a British man. You have to earn your streaks but I think they have allowed me to be successful,” he said.
He only left the Italians last month after accepting an offer to become sporting director of Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League but his fingerprints were all over the victory at Anfield, although Congerton has a foot in both camps having been in the Liverpool team at right-back at the start of his career. “I also have a great affinity for Liverpool!” it reminds me.
It was a big draw for Congerton to go to Saudi Arabia to work with Ron Gourlay, who he knew at Chelsea. “Jeddah in particular is very football-loving and hot as you can imagine. I was impressed by football, we had 50,000 home games and a great atmosphere,” he says.
It was at Chelsea that he worked with his mentor Frank Arnesen, who he still talks to every week. He worked with him at Hamburg during the emergence of Son Heung-min and when Hakan Çalhanoğlu was plucked from the lower leagues. After Germany, Congerton credits some of his work at Sunderland as his greatest success as a sporting director.
“We were bottom of the league when I arrived and the owner didn’t like football,” he said. “It was the first time on my own at a huge club and we managed to stay up with loans and freebies and we succeeded every year.”
His stints at Celtic and Leicester with Brendan Rodgers as manager saw the likes of Odsonne Edouard and Moussa Dembele come and go for the big European leagues. At Leicester, Fofana was recruited and Congerton, as head of senior recruitment, was a key figure in Harry Maguire’s move to Manchester United which made him the world’s most expensive defender.
“At Celtic we had no money,” said Congerton. “Peter Lawwell is a nice guy, he’s an accountant. Brendan spoke to me and said we needed speed and power, speed. We all know that PSG has a great youth program with players at the time who were never going to play for PSG. Two of the other players we tried to sign during my time were [Moussa] Diaby, who is now at Aston Villa, and [Christopher] Nkunku is now at Chelsea.”
“But there were some players I didn’t want to be anywhere near and that’s why I left. Peter knows that and so did Brendan. Atalanta is very different.
“At Leicester, owner [Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha]. What a guy. He deserves praise and credit. I know they had a bit of a hard time. Wesley left, [Timothy] Castagne, Harvey [Barnes], [James] Maddison, Mary [Tielemans], you are talking best players. Players must be hungry. If it becomes a norm and you do not want and there is no hunger.
“You always have to renew, sign at that level. I learned at Chelsea because of the attitude of true champions – John Terry or [Michael] Ballack, Joe Cole or Ashley Cole, [Didier] Drogba. They are hungry to win and that is what makes them so successful at what they did.”
As for personal ambition, Congerton’s career has involved a number of clubs so it’s likely we’ll see him back in England eventually. “Frank always said he could see me going to different places. I have an adventure in me and I was lucky that my wife was like that too in terms of trying something new. I could have stayed at each club longer but it was my choice. You turn three and I think I need that encouragement. I like to grow things but I’m always excited for a new challenge.”
