Ivan Juric Appointed New Atalanta Manager Following Gasperini’s Exit

Ivan Juric has been appointed as the new manager of Atalanta, succeeding Gian Piero Gasperini, the Serie A club announced on Friday. The Croatian has signed a two-year contract, just two months after departing Southampton following their relegation from the Premier League.

With the challenging task of filling Gasperini’s shoes—who left the Bergamo club on Saturday after a nine-year tenure marked by the most prosperous period in the club’s history—Atalanta has opted for Juric, a former protégé and assistant of Gasperini.

The 49-year-old Juric played under Gasperini at both Crotone and Genoa, served on his coaching team during a brief period at Inter Milan in 2011, and became his assistant at Palermo in 2012.

This isn’t Juric’s first stint taking over from Gasperini. In 2016, when Gasperini moved from Genoa to coach Atalanta, Juric was the appointed successor. He subsequently managed Hellas Verona and Torino for five seasons.

Last season, Juric took the helm at AS Roma following the dismissal of Daniele De Rossi in September, but his reign lasted less than two months before he was also relieved of his duties. In December, he took the reins at Premier League outfit Southampton.

At the time of Juric’s appointment, Southampton was at the bottom of the league table, and he struggled to turn their fortunes around, winning only two out of 16 matches across all competitions before departing in April, when the club’s relegation was confirmed with seven games remaining.

Now, Juric will be keen to rebuild his reputation after a tumultuous season, but he faces the daunting task of emulating Gasperini’s successes, who transformed Atalanta from relegation candidates to a regular fixture in European competitions, culminating in their Europa League triumph in 2024.

Atalanta finished third in Serie A last season, which will provide Juric with his first experience of Champions League football as a manager. Notably, in the league, he will face Gasperini, who was appointed manager of AS Roma on Friday.