Raffaele Palladino steadies Atalanta ahead of Athletic test | OneFootball

According to El Correo, Raffaele Palladino has steadied Atalanta as Athletic visit on Wednesday. The 41-year-old took over after Gian Piero Gasperini’s glittering era closed and Ivan Juric’s brief spell unravelled.

Atalanta’s rise stems from Antonio Percassi’s 2010 takeover and a sustainable model built on youth and big sales.

His masterstroke was appointing Gasperini. Since 2017 the club have been regular contenders, lifting the Europa League two seasons ago by beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0.

The cycle eventually wore thin. Gasperini left for Roma, Juric arrived, and a turbulent summer featured tension with Ademola Lookman over a desired move to Inter.

Results sagged in 2025, so Percassi made his first dismissal since March 2015. On 11 November he turned to Palladino, who had kept Monza up and led Fiorentina to sixth in 2024-25.

Palladino has nine wins and one draw from 13 matches, and key players look rejuvenated.

The club sold Mateo Retegui to an Arabian side for nearly €70 million, then recruited Odilon Kossounou, Honest Ahanor and striker Nikola Krstovic, who has struggled to match last season. This week they signed Giacomo Raspadori, a move that could open the door to Lookman’s exit after only three goals compared with 20 last term.

With 13 points and qualification close, Wednesday at the New Balance Arena, formerly the Stadi Azzurri d’Italia, is pivotal for both. The revamp kept the main stands, added two big home ends and raised capacity to 23,439, ending trips to Milan for European games.

Source: El Correo