As expected, Atalanta Bergamo has bolstered its ranks with Maurizio Sarri and secured the outspoken coaching guru on a long-term contract. The hope behind this move is clear: “La Dea” is finally set to return to winning ways.
It was clear that finding a suitable successor to Gian Piero Gasperini, a guarantee of success, would be difficult. After the departure of the man who had led “La Dea” to the Champions League several times and to the 2024 Europa League victory (3-0 against Leverkusen), the bosses at Atalanta Bergamo tried their luck with Ivan Juric and Raffaele Palladino.
While the former was a near-total failure, the latter recently managed to pull the team out of the mud and, with an average of 1.7 points per game in his 27 Serie A matches (13 wins, seven draws, seven losses), still led the Bergamaschi to the Conference League.
Sarri, the experienced maverick
Still, that wasn’t enough for Atalanta’s decision-makers, which is why—especially after Lazio’s second departure within two years—none other than Maurizio Sarri had emerged as their preferred choice.
This Monday, the tactical guru signed a long-term contract (through June 30, 2029) and is set to fill the large and still very present shoes of Gasperini, who now coaches AS Roma.
With Sarri, the Lombards—whose sporting director is Cristiano Giuntoli (2015–2018), known from their time together at Napoli—are certainly banking on a wealth of experience: Over 800 professional matches as a coach on the sidelines, the Europa League title with Chelsea (2019), a Scudetto with Juventus (2020), and three consecutive seasons in which he broke SSC Napoli’s points record (2016 to 2018) speak for themselves.
However, the truth is also that things didn’t go well for the passionate smoker Sarri—nicknamed “Mister 33”—after his first resignation in 2024 at Lazio (9th place). And that the “Commandante” is known for having strong opinions and for being quick to pull the plug himself in the face of failure. Most recently in Rome, where transfer restrictions prevented him from assembling his squad as planned, leading him to announce his “Ciao” at the end of the season—following his previously threatened departure.
