Less than 24 hours after Ivan Juric’s dismissal, Atalanta Bergamo has presented its new head coach: Raffaele Palladino (41), who was most recently linked with various clubs, takes over with immediate effect.
Until November 1, Atalanta Bergamo, along with FC Bayern, was one of only two teams still undefeated in Europe’s top five leagues. The significant difference to the German record champions: when they suffered their first defeat (0-1 in Udine), the 2024 Europa League winners had only 13 points to their name and were languishing in eleventh place.
Following a devastating 3-0 home defeat to Sassuolo last weekend, Bergamo slipped to 13th place and consequently parted ways with head coach Ivan Juric. For the 50-year-old, it was already his third suspension within twelve months.
However, in northern Italy, they already had a plan in place for how to make a fresh start. Less than 24 hours after parting ways with Juric, Atalanta presented his successor on Tuesday afternoon. And he goes by the illustrious name of Raffaele Palladino. The 41-year-old had been mentioned repeatedly in recent weeks when it came to vacant coaching positions.
Contract until 2027 – Difficult start
He is said to have been on Juventus’ shortlist before the Bianconeri ultimately opted for former national coach Luciano Spalletti. Recently, there was also talk of a return to Florence, which he left last summer despite finishing sixth and qualifying for Europe.
The separation was “amicable,” which is probably why Palladino preferred to take on a different challenge. In addition, Florence took a nosedive after Palladino’s departure and is currently at the bottom of Serie A with only five points from eleven games. In Bergamo, Palladino has been given a contract until June 30, 2027, and is expected to quickly make people forget about Juric’s staid style of soccer. Palladino is bringing a total of six staff members with him to Bergamo, including assistant Stefano Citterio, two fitness coaches, and two game analysts. In Florence and at his previous club in Monza, Palladino played attractive, attacking football. He has the necessary players to do the same in Bergamo. However, with only two wins from eleven games, the main priority is to get results as quickly as possible. The start of the season will be tough, though: after the international break, the team will face crisis-stricken champions Napoli on November 22.