Atalanta: Maurizio Sarri’s Last-Ditch Appeal—Three Coaches Are Already Ready to Take His Place
This is definitely a tough stretch for Atalanta, which, in its Conference League home match against Kairat—that ended in a 1-1 draw thanks to Krstovic’s goal in the 82nd minute, preventing another home loss following the league defeat to Parma—confirmed the struggles it has shown in recent weeks, with the back-to-back wins against Venezia and Pafos (both 3-1 on October 12 and 15) now seeming like distant memories.
First and foremost in the hot seat is Maurizio Sarri: the tactical revolution called for by the club’s leadership following the Gasperini era and the Palladino interlude is far from complete, and many fans have vented their dissatisfaction on social media, comparing these past few weeks to those last year when Ivan Juric was at the helm.
Before the break, the Bergamo side has the opportunity to bounce back against their former coach, who now leads Monza: another negative result, however, could serve as the catalyst for a decisive change of course, with the club ready to part ways with the coach who previously managed, among others, Napoli, Juventus, and Lazio.
Among the coaches currently without a contract, there are three already ready to take on the challenge: the first is Igor Tudor, under whom the team would return to a three-man defense. The Croatian coach has been out of work since March 2026, when his brief and unsuccessful stint at Tottenham came to an end—a club that is, however, very difficult to assess, as demonstrated by the results both before and after the Tudor era.
In recent days, speculation has also surfaced regarding Stefano Pioli, who is eager for a comeback after his lackluster stint at Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and his particularly dismal spell at Fiorentina. Pioli, whose name has also been linked to other Serie A clubs (such as Bologna before they turned to Palladino or, more recently, Sassuolo), recently stated that he feels ready to return to the bench to prove he still has a lot to offer in terms of tactics and team management.
The latest possibility involves Thiago Motta, although the Italian-Brazilian coach would prefer a project to take on at the start of the year rather than a mid-season stint with a team that has shown significant character issues as well as tactical problems on the field. The former Bologna and Juventus coach is not a name to be ruled out, however: the picture will inevitably become clearer after Atalanta’s match on the road against Monza, scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Brianteo.
