Atalanta have sacked head coach Ivan Jurić after a poor start to the Serie A season. The team sits 13th in the table with just two wins from 11 matches.
The decision to dismiss the coach came shortly after a 3-0 home defeat to Sassuolo on Sunday, which intensified pressure on the former Torino and Verona boss.
The club confirmed his departure in a brief statement: “Atalanta BC announces that Ivan Juric has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the first team, along with his closest staff members, Matteo Paro, Miguel Veloso, Pablo Barbero, Stjepan Ostojic, and Michele Orecchio. Atalanta thanks Ivan Juric and his staff for their efforts and wishes them all the best for the future,” the club said in a statement on Monday.
Tensions within the squad had been rising recently. During Atalanta’s 1-0 victory over Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday night, Lookman had a goal ruled out for offside in the build-up before he was substituted in the 75th minute. As the Nigerian international was making his way to the dugout, he and the coach appeared to be in disagreement, possibly over the decision to remove him.
Jurić was seen grabbing Lookman by the arm, pulling him back as the two started to argue.
Jurić, notably, was dismissed by AS Roma in November 2024 before taking charge at Atalanta earlier this year. His stint in Bergamo was expected to revitalise the club following Gian Piero Gasperini’s departure, but results and performances fell short of expectations.
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