The 2001-02 campaign delivered a season of consistent, if slightly frustrating, mid-table consolidation for Atalanta as La Dea finished a respectable 9th in Serie A. Spearheading the entire effort was the influential playmaker Cristiano Doni, whose sensational 16 goals cemented his legendary status and equalled the club's all-time Serie A scoring record. Under manager Giovanni Vavassori, the team battled hard, impressively recovering from an early-season slump to climb from 17th and secure a top-half finish, even reaching the Coppa Italia Quarter-finals, in a season built on grit and Doni's unmatched attacking flair.