Ivan Juric has been named as the new manager of Atalanta, replacing Gian Piero Gasperini, the Serie A club announced on Friday. The Croatian coach has signed a two-year contract, just two months after leaving Southampton following their relegation from the Premier League.
Atalanta face the challenging task of succeeding Gasperini, who departed the club on Saturday after nine years at the helm, during which he presided over the most successful era in the club’s history. The club has opted to appoint Juric, a former player and assistant of Gasperini.
Juric, 49, played under Gasperini at Crotone and Genoa and was part of his coaching staff during Gasperini’s brief tenure at Inter Milan in 2011. He later became his assistant at Palermo in 2012.
This is not the first occasion Juric has succeeded Gasperini. In 2016, when Gasperini left Genoa to join Atalanta, Juric was promoted to head coach at Genoa. He subsequently spent five seasons managing Hellas Verona and Torino.
Last season, Juric took over as manager of AS Roma following the dismissal of Daniele De Rossi in September but lasted fewer than two months before his own departure. In December, he was appointed manager of Southampton.
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Southampton were bottom of the Premier League when Juric took charge, but he was unable to halt their decline, winning just two of 16 matches in all competitions. He left in April after the club’s relegation was confirmed with seven games remaining.
Juric now aims to rebuild his reputation but faces a significant challenge in matching Gasperini’s achievements. Gasperini transformed Atalanta from relegation candidates into a regular European competitor, culminating in their Europa League triumph in 2024.
Atalanta finished third in Serie A last season, earning Juric his first opportunity to manage in the Champions League. In the league, he will face his predecessor, Gasperini, who was appointed AS Roma manager on Friday.
