Bergamo, Italy – November 11, 2025 – In a move that has sent shockwaves through Italian football, Atalanta BC officially parted ways with head coach Ivan Juric on Monday, confirming the dismissal of the 50-year-old Croatian tactician and his entire coaching staff after just five months in charge. The decision, announced via a terse club statement, came less than 24 hours after a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Sassuolo on Sunday, which plunged the Nerazzurri into 13th place in Serie A and marked the end of a turbulent tenure defined by frustrating draws and back-to-back losses.
"Atalanta BC announces that Ivan Juric has been relieved of his duties as first team coach, along with his closest collaborators, namely Matteo Paro, Miguel Veloso, Paolo Barbero, Stjepan Ostojić, and Michele Orecchio," the club stated on its official website. "Atalanta BC would like to thank Ivan Juric and his staff for their hard work and wishes them all the best for the future." The sacking, which Italian media outlets like Football Italia described as "inevitable" following weeks of mounting pressure, underscores the high-stakes environment at a club unaccustomed to mid-table mediocrity.
Juric's exit arrives at a precarious moment for Atalanta, who entered the 2025-26 campaign with sky-high expectations after qualifying for the Champions League for the seventh consecutive season under his predecessor, Gian Piero Gasperini. Appointed in June 2025 on a two-year contract, Juric was seen as a natural successor to Gasperini, his longtime mentor from their days together at Crotone and Genoa. The Croatian, known for his intense, high-pressing style that echoes Gasperini's philosophy, promised continuity and evolution. Yet, in 15 matches across all competitions—winning just four, drawing eight, and losing three—Juric's Atalanta managed only sporadic brilliance, most notably in Europe.
The final straw was Sunday's debacle at the Gewiss Stadium, where newly promoted Sassuolo inflicted Atalanta's heaviest home league defeat since December 2021. Domenico Berardi opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 29th minute after a foul on Andrea Pinamonti, who then doubled the lead two minutes into the second half with a clinical finish. Berardi added a third in the 66th minute, capitalizing on defensive lapses that left Atalanta's backline exposed. Despite dominating possession at 61% and registering 14 shots, the hosts failed to test Sassuolo keeper Stefano Turati meaningfully, highlighting chronic issues with finishing that plagued Juric's reign. The loss, Atalanta's second in as many Serie A outings, followed a 1-0 defeat at Udinese on November 1, where a late Lorenzo Lucca strike ended a run of five consecutive league draws and exposed the team's inability to convert dominance into points.
That earlier unbeaten streak—nine matches without a loss from late September to mid-October—had offered glimmers of hope but was marred by tedium. Seven of those games ended level, including frustrating 1-1 draws against AC Milan, Cremonese, and Como, drawing comparisons to Atalanta's staid 2011 season under Stefano Colantuono. With 13 points from 11 matches, Atalanta now sit eight points adrift of the Champions League spots, a far cry from the top-four finishes that defined the Gasperini era. Fans, who once chanted Juric's name during a 3-0 thrashing of Torino in September, have grown increasingly vocal, with banners at the Gewiss Stadium last weekend reading "Enough draws, we need victories."
For Juric, this is the latest chapter in a coaching career punctuated by rapid rises and abrupt falls. A former midfielder for clubs like Crotone, Genoa, and Hajduk Split—who earned five caps for Croatia—the 50-year-old transitioned into management under Gasperini's wing, assisting him at Inter Milan and Palermo before taking the helm at Mantova in 2014. His breakthrough came at Crotone, where he orchestrated promotion to Serie A in 2016, a feat that earned him stints at Genoa, Hellas Verona, and Torino. However, stability has eluded him in recent years. In September 2024, Juric replaced Daniele De Rossi at Roma, only to be sacked on November 10, 2024—exactly one year before his Atalanta dismissal—after a 3-2 loss to Bologna left the Giallorossi teetering near the relegation zone.
His Premier League adventure proved even shorter-lived. Appointed Southampton manager on December 21, 2024, on an 18-month deal, Juric inherited a side rooted to the bottom of the table. Despite early promise, including a 2-1 win over Ipswich, the Saints' form crumbled. A 3-1 defeat to Tottenham on April 6, 2025, confirmed relegation with seven games remaining—the earliest in Premier League history—prompting Juric's resignation the next day after just 108 days in charge. "It was a hot potato from the start," reflected Gasperini of his protégé's Roma spell, a sentiment that now applies threefold. Juric's Atalanta appointment was billed as a homecoming of sorts, given his Italian roots and Gasperini connection, but it has instead amplified questions about his readiness for sustained pressure.
The backdrop to Juric's struggles is the towering shadow of Gasperini, who departed Atalanta in June 2025 after nine transformative years that reshaped the club from perennial also-rans into European contenders. Arriving in 2016 amid a 13th-place finish the prior season, Gasperini engineered five Champions League qualifications, a Europa League triumph in 2024 (edging Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the final), and a third-place Serie A standing in 2024-25. His high-energy, possession-based system produced stars like Josip Iličić and Papu Gómez while maximizing a modest budget through shrewd scouting. Atalanta bid farewell to their architect on May 31, 2025, with Gasperini penning an emotional letter to fans: "It wasn't possible to express this before; only in the last few hours have I really decided to put an end to this wonderful nine-year-long story." Days later, on June 6, he was unveiled as Roma's manager on a three-year deal, replacing Claudio Ranieri and tasked with restoring the Giallorossi's faded glory. Under Gasperini, Roma currently sit fourth in Serie A with 22 points, a stark contrast to Atalanta's woes.
Amid the domestic gloom, Atalanta's European campaign offers a lifeline. Sitting 16th in the expanded 36-team Champions League league phase with seven points from four matches, they boast wins over Club Brugge (2-1) and Marseille (1-0 last week), plus draws against Slavia Prague and Paris Saint-Germain. Ademola Lookman and Éderson have been standout performers, with the former's curling strike securing the Marseille victory that briefly eased pressure on Juric. Yet, even here, vulnerabilities lurk: a 4-0 thrashing by PSG in September exposed defensive frailties that carried over to league play.
As Atalanta lick their wounds ahead of the international break, speculation swirls around Juric's successor. Local media, including Gazzetta dello Sport, report that former Fiorentina and Monza boss Raffaele Palladino is the frontrunner, with talks "finalizing" for a contract until 2027. The 39-year-old, known for his attacking flair and youth development, could inject fresh energy into a squad featuring talents like Giorgio Scalvini (recovering from injury) and Mateo Retegui. Palladino's appointment would mark Atalanta's third managerial change in six months, a rarity for a club synonymous with stability under Gasperini.
Club president Antonio Percassi addressed the sacking in a brief statement, emphasizing resilience: "We thank Ivan for his commitment, but results dictate decisions in football. Our focus remains on climbing the table and honoring our European commitments." With a daunting trip to champions Napoli on November 22 looming, Atalanta's faithful hope for a swift turnaround. For Juric, once hailed as Gasperini's heir apparent, this latest dismissal serves as a sobering reminder of football's unforgiving nature. As he contemplates his next move—perhaps a return to Serie A mid-table obscurity—the Bergamo giants must now rebuild without the man who was meant to carry the torch.
