Atalanta, no spark with Juric: why Palladino is set to arrive | OneFootball

The story between Ivan Juric and Atalanta lasted only a few months, but the cracks were visible from the very beginning. It was a decision born out of fragile internal balances, divergent visions between the Percassi family and the American component of the club, and a legacy—that of Gian Piero Gasperini—impossible to manage without total unity.

Atalanta, a Love That Never Began with Juric: The Behind-the-Scenes of a Decision and the Inevitable Arrival of Palladino

The dismissal of the Croatian coach, expected within hours, and the imminent arrival of Raffaele Palladino on the Nerazzurri bench represent the conclusion of a journey marked by misunderstandings, skepticism, and a coexistence that never truly worked.

One Club, Three Souls, and a Choice Never Shared

The management of Atalanta after Gasperini turned into a sort of corporate “Bermuda Triangle,” in which the ambitions of all the main players were lost. On one side, Antonio and Luca Percassi, tied to a “family-oriented” and identity-driven vision of the club; on the other, Pagliuca, representative of the American fund that controls part of the club and advocate of a more managerial and international approach.

When Gasperini left Bergamo, the Percassis would have preferred to continue with him. But the tensions that had built up in recent months, combined with Pagliuca’s misgivings about the coach’s bluntness and his independent communication, led to an inevitable split.

It was then Luca Percassi who pushed for Juric, convinced that the Croatian was the right man to continue Gasperini’s work: same tactical setup, same philosophy of intensity and discipline, but less interference in transfer decisions.

The Fundamental Mistake: Continuity Without Consensus

Juric’s appointment, however, was never fully shared. Pagliuca never considered him a first choice, and Antonio Percassi already had serious doubts in the summer. The result was a marriage imposed rather than chosen, where each of the club’s three factions looked at the bench with different expectations.

The coach, arriving after two failed experiences (Roma and Southampton), failed to win over either the locker room or the fans. His direct, sometimes abrasive character heightened tensions with management and undermined internal harmony.

Palladino, the Chosen One for Months

While Juric tried to keep things together, Raffaele Palladino was already on the club’s radar. Monitored for some time and also approached by Juventus, the former Monza coach was identified as the ideal profile to start a new cycle: young, innovative, and able to bring out the best in a squad that has shown structural limits, especially in attack.

For the Percassis, Palladino represents the synthesis between continuity and renewal: a coach with modern ideas but able to balance the club’s different factions.

Juric, an Inevitable Ending

The numbers are merciless: between Roma, Southampton, and Atalanta, Juric has collected 33 league matches and just six victories. A record too poor to justify trust and continuity. His dismissal, therefore, is only a matter of time.

The Croatian leaves Bergamo without regrets, but with the awareness that he never truly had the trust needed to build something lasting. Atalanta, for its part, starts over with Palladino, hoping that this new choice will not only be more widely shared, but also more consistent with the identity the club built during the years of the “Gasperini miracle.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.