BERGAMO – Atalanta have fired manager Ivan Jurić after just 11 Serie A matches, a decision triggered by a public clash with star forward Ademola Lookman and sealed by a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to newly-promoted Sassuolo.
The loss on Sunday proved the final straw for a club that has won only two league games this season. Appointed last summer to succeed the legendary Gian Piero Gasperini, Jurić was tasked with evolving Atalanta's identity while maintaining the attacking football that made Lookman a continental star. Instead, the team has stagnated, amassing just six points from their last eight matches and sinking to 13th place.
The growing crisis boiled over last week in a heated touchline confrontation between Jurić and Lookman, the reigning African Player of the Year. The public nature of the dispute was a damaging blow for a club renowned for its strong team culture.
In a brief statement released Monday, Atalanta confirmed the dismissal of Jurić and his entire staff, thanking them for their service.
The club’s hierarchy had reportedly set a two-game ultimatum for the manager: a Champions League tie against Marseille and the Sassuolo league fixture. While a European victory provided temporary respite, the dismal performance against Sassuolo made Jurić’s position untenable.
With their season drifting dangerously off course, Atalanta have acted decisively to protect their key asset and reset their ambitions. Lookman, the team's talismanic winger, remains central to the project, and repairing that relationship is an immediate priority.
According to multiple reports, former Monza and Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino is the leading candidate to take over. A progressive, possession-oriented manager, Palladino is seen as an ideal fit to rebuild the system around Lookman’s pace and match-winning instincts.
In Bergamo, expectations remain high. This managerial change is a clear signal that the club will not accept stagnation, and its star player is once again at the heart of its plans.