About a week after his touchline standoff with Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, coach Ivan Juric has been sacked by Atalanta amid the club’s poor run of results.
Atalanta officially announced that they have parted company with the coach on Monday. Juric, who was appointed as the successor to Atalanta stalwart Gian Piero Gasperini over the summer, leaves Atalanta in 13th place in the Serie A table, with just two league wins from 11 matches on their record.
Coincidentally, Juric was also sacked on November 10, 2024, by Roma and was replaced by Claudio Ranieri.
Atalanta’s form has been worrisome across all competitions this season, and the situation was worsened by their 3-0 humiliation at home by Sassuolo on Sunday.
They have only managed a good run in the Champions League, winning two of their four games, while drawing one and losing the other.
Amid the poor form, Juric also made the headlines for the wrong reasons in the Champions League, when he grabbed Lookman by the arm after substituting the player against Marseille.
Although he dismissed their altercation as normal, the situation further stirred Lookman’s intention to leave the club, as he unfollowed them on Instagram as well.
Football Italia also reports that the club is finalising talks with former Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino, who is expected to sign a contract until 2027.
Palladino is expected to sign a one-and-a-half-year contract until June 2027, but the latest details, including add-ons, will be discussed in the coming hours.
Atalanta have only won two Serie A games this season and the club hope the new coach will be able to revive new signings, starting with Nikola Krstovic, who has given little satisfaction so far.
For Lookman, he might as well get along with the new coach and rediscover his form until his departure is finalised.
