In the early 1950s, the club continued to perform consistently in Serie A and launched the careers of young players such as Battista Rota, Giulio Corsini, and Gaudenzio Bernasconi, the last of whom was named among the revelations of the 1953–54 season. In summer 1954, the club sold Rota to Bologna (though he would return in 1961) and appointed Luigi Bonizzoni as the new coach. The 1954–55 season saw Atalanta struggle in offense. The team escaped relegation thanks to 16 goals from Danish midfielder Poul Rasmussen—who arrived in 1952 to replace Swedish forward Hasse Jeppson after a then-world record 105-million lire sale to Napoli—as well as defensive solidity. With only 38 goals conceded, Atalanta had the second-best defense in Serie A, behind only Milan, who won the league that season.