Croatian coach Ivan Juric has been relieved of his duties as Atalanta manager following two consecutive Serie A defeats that pushed the team into the bottom half of the league table, the club confirmed on Monday.
Atalanta suffered a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Sassuolo on Sunday, a result that saw them fall to 13th place in the Serie A standings. The Bergamo-based side had started the season impressively with a nine-match unbeaten run in the league, although seven of those were draws. However, back-to-back losses to Udinese and Sassuolo proved costly for Juric.
In a statement released by the club, Atalanta announced that Juric and his entire coaching staff had been dismissed. The decision marks the end of a brief and turbulent tenure for the Croatian tactician, who had been appointed to lead the team just months earlier.
Juric’s managerial record in recent years has been mixed. He spent less than two months at Roma last year in a disappointing spell before moving to England to manage Southampton. His time at the Premier League club was also short-lived, as he resigned after the Saints suffered relegation — the earliest in Premier League history — in early April.
He replaced Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta during the summer. Gasperini, who spent nine highly successful years at the club, left to join Roma after guiding Atalanta to several top-four finishes and memorable European campaigns.
While Atalanta’s domestic form has faltered under Juric, their European performances have been stronger. The team currently sits 16th in the Champions League table with seven points from four games, showing promise in continental competition despite their struggles at home.
The club is expected to name a replacement in the coming days as they aim to revive their Serie A campaign and stabilize their season.
What you should know
Ivan Juric, who replaced long-time manager Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta, has been sacked after a poor run of results left the club languishing in 13th place.
Although his side has performed decently in the Champions League, their domestic struggles led to his dismissal just months into his appointment.
