Atalanta hired Maurizio Sarri as coach on Monday, ESPN/AP reported, giving the Serie A club its third managerial change in the space of 12 months.
The club did not release details of Sarri's contract, according to ESPN/AP, though Italian media reported the former Chelsea and Juventus coach has agreed a three-year deal.
Sarri Takes Over Atalanta Job
The appointment continues Atalanta's effort to settle the post-Gian Piero Gasperini era. Gasperini left for AS Roma last year after nine seasons in charge, ending the long spell that had defined Atalanta's modern rise.
Ivan Juric was the first replacement, but ESPN/AP reported he was fired in November after a seven-match winless run while the team struggled in the lower part of the table.
Raffaele Palladino then came in and took Atalanta to a seventh-place finish, the Coppa Italia semifinals and the Champions League round of 16. The cup run ended on penalties against Sarri's Lazio, while Bayern Munich eliminated Atalanta from Europe.
Atalanta Turn To Experienced Winner
Atalanta parted ways with Palladino last week and officially named Sarri as their new coach on Monday, ESPN/AP reported.
Sarri, 67, has spent four of the past five seasons in charge of Lazio. His resume also includes Napoli, Chelsea and Juventus, giving Atalanta a coach with deep Serie A experience and recent European pedigree.
He won the Europa League with Chelsea in 2019 and the Serie A title with Juventus the following year. Atalanta are not hiring a project coach here; they are hiring someone used to handling big dressing rooms and immediate scrutiny.
Third Change In One Year
The number that frames the move is not subtle: three managerial changes in 12 months. Atalanta have moved from Gasperini to Juric, then Palladino, and now Sarri in a compressed period.
That churn makes the Sarri appointment more than a standard offseason coaching move. It is Atalanta's latest attempt to restore a clear football identity after a year of transition, mixed domestic results and a European campaign that ended in the round of 16.