Ivan Juric Slams ‘Abysmal’ Atalanta and Questions Young Italian Following Poor Champions League Display

Ivan Juric has slammed his Atalanta side after La Dea were thrashed 5-0 by PSG and the Croatian also questioned the performance from young Italian star, Daniel Maldini.

What Did Ivan Juric Say About Atalanta vs PSG?

The 2024 Europa League champions began their Champions League campaign with a baptism of fire, facing last season’s winners in the French capital.

Atalanta made a horrific start against the Ligue 1 side, as Marquinhos put the hosts ahead after just three minutes and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doubled PSG’s lead just before the half-time whistle.

Nuno Mendes added a third just six-minutes into the second-half, before Goncalo Ramos delivered the final blow in added time – sending Atalanta back to Bergamo with nothing.

Ivan Juric was not best-pleased with his sides’ performance in Paris, but did highlight the key absentees, with Atalanta missing a host of star players and also wondering when Ademola Lookman will play for La Dea again.

Juric said (Via Tuttosport): “After the 1-0, we reacted well and played 20-25 minutes of play. But the difference in quality was enormous, I’d say abysmal. Against a team like that, it was inevitable that we would struggle.

“Despite this, I’m taking several positive signs from this match: I saw young players like Kossounou, Bernasconi, Bellanova, Hien, Musah, and Brescianini who can grow and compete at this level. With the injured players back, we’ll be more complete and competitive.”

Atalanta will face Club Brugge in their next Champions League encounter, but Ivan Juric’s side will have to deal with two major Serie A clashes beforehand.

The Bergamo-based side take on Torino away from home on September 21st, before heading back to Turin a week later to face Serie A title contenders – Juventus.

Igor Tudor’s side pulled off a historic comeback in their Champions League opener, coming from behind on multiple occasions to draw 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund.

Juric will have some key decisions to make over his starting lineup going into the Serie A clash against Torino and Daniel Maldini may be dropped to the bench following a poor display in Europe.

Will Daniel Maldini Start Again For Ivan Juric?

The 23-year-old was substituted during the half-time break at Parc des Princes, as Maldini failed to make a mark on the match against a resolute PSG defense.

Maldini started in each of Atalanta’s opening Serie A encounters, as La Dea drew 1-1 to both Pisa and Parma, as the youngster was also called up to the Italian national team.

After returning from the international break, Maldini was dropped to the bench against Lecce and Atalanta picked up their first win of the season with a 4-1 victory at home.

Despite this strong performance without the 23-year-old, Maldini was put back into the starting eleven against PSG and once again failed to make an impact.

Ivan Juric was quick to point out the performance from Nikola Krstovic as an example of how to play the position and the Atalanta boss may not start Maldini in La Dea’s future Champions League fixtures.

Juric said (Via Tuttosport): “It’s not a question of courage. Maldini should have played the role the way Krstović did in the second half. The tactical idea was the same, the interpretation wasn’t optimal, but the choice wasn’t wrong in itself.”