As Gian Piero Gasperini leaves for the capital after nine years, it is worth looking at the next Atalanta manager candidates being touted to succeed an irreplaceable figure.
Gian Piero Gasperini Takes Over as Roma Manager
Although Gian Piero Gasperini always maintained his intention to see out the remainder of his Atalanta contract, worries over his own ability to compete without guarantees in the transfer market has seen him depart.
The ever-progressive 67-year-old has battled constantly with the concept of an archetypal Italian manager, and during his nearly 10-year stint in Bergamo, he cultivated a special bond with the club.
Transforming Atalanta into one of Europe’s most revered attacking units, he led them to their first trophy in 61 years in last season’s Europa League final, which also happened to be his first as a coach at the ripe old age of 66.
La Dea has been desperate to hold on to Gasperini, offering him fresh terms with a bumper salary, but the lure of Roma proved to be too great.
Despite Atalanta’s best efforts to keep the most transformative figure in the club’s history, reports in Italy suggest an acrimonious exit came after post-season crunch talks.
The Atalanta hierarchy reportedly told Gasperini that they will continue to sanction sales for their best players, if the right offers come in. Arsenal-linked Ademola Lookman, Emerson and Serie A top scorer Mateo Retegui could all leave the club this summer, and the club are expectant that younger players are nurtured in their stead, to align with the club’s steady financial health.
“The termination of my relationship with the club was decided by me, and no responsibility should be put upon the club and its directors, I’ve simply come to understand that the time has come to take this step,” he said.
“We’ve managed to achieve some unquestionably extraordinary results. I would have liked to do more, I didn’t succeed, but we still celebrated a lot together and I’m sure you will do it again.”
Gasperini arrives in Rome to take over from Claudio Ranieri, who after coming out of retirement to guide Roma into the Europa League, is finally bringing the curtain down on his management career,
Next Atalanta Manager Candidates
Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta’s reputation as a manager was somewhat tarnished after his premature exit from Juventus in March, less than a year after being appointed.
Despite wide-spread reports questioning his relationship with the dressing room — which Motta has vehemently denied — he claims Juve were just a point away from the hierarchy’s ‘priority target’ at the start of the season.
His short-lived tenure at Juve has no doubt overshadowed his previous achievements as a young manager.
Not least guiding Bologna to the Champions League for the first time since 1965 in his first full season, having also led Spezia to safety two years before.
Motta’s reputation as a forward-thinking, modern manager is just the kind of appointment Atalanta will be eager to complete, should they need to replace Gasperini — a fellow pioneer of daring football.
The pair actually shared a dressing room during Motta’s one-season stint at Genoa, where Gasperini was manager.
Motta’s teams have often been set-up in unconventional formations, not least the ‘2-7-2’ which essentially flips the popular 4-3-3 formation from vertical to horizontal.
Remember the 2-7-2 formation? Thiago Motta has never thought of an actual 2-7-2 with the GK who’d become a midfielder. He just changed the way of reading formations. Instead of reading a 4-3-3 vertically, you flip the pitch & look at it horizontally. Then it becomes a 2-7-2. (1/2 pic.twitter.com/Owk2AoeRcQ
— Fabri (@17Reazy) November 29, 2023
One of Motta’s most redeeming qualities is his current unemployment. For a club infamous for operating on the bread line, not having to pay a new manager out of their contract, or offer bloated bonus packages, is an attractive prospect.
Atalanta is the perfect middle ground for Motta to get his managerial career back on track; a hugely aspirational club, playing in Europe, but without the toxic pressures of Juventus’ muddled project.
According to Serie A betting sites, he is the likeliest to take over the hot seat.
Francesco Farioli
Another manager who may be suffering from an identity crisis is Francesco Farioli, who this recently left his post at Ajax, just one season into a three-year deal.
Ajax were cruising at the top of the Eredivisie with seven games to go, stretching nine points ahead of rivals PSV.
However, a capitulation of epic proportions saw PSV chip away at their lead as they continued to drop points, eventually finishing a point behind in second on the final day.
The club’s technical director Alex Kroes insisted Farioli’s decision to leave was by his own volition due to a “difference in vision”, much to the club’s disappointment who were grateful for “enhancing the high-performance culture.”
Farioli is a disciple of Roberto De Zerbi, having been his goalkeeper coach at both Benevento and Sassuolo. Strangely, the Barga-born 36-year-old has never had a leading managerial role in Italy, instead starting out in Turkey before hopping to both Nice and Ajax.
His background alongside De Zerbi is consistent with his penchant for offensive football, which of course fits the billing in regards to Atalanta.
Whether Ajax’s lily-livered title surrender has a bearing on his ability to find a job remains to be seen, but Farioli’s reputation for daring, intoxicating football makes him a suitable fit.
It is, again, worth pointing out he is now without a club, which is likely Atalanta’s preference.
Raffaele Palladino
Much like Motta, Raffaelle Palladino is another of Gasperini’s disciples from Genoa.
Taking over from now-Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano would be a tall order for anyone, but Palladino managed to guide Fiorentina into yet another Europa Conference League berth for next season.
Having been the runner-up in that competition for the past two seasons, the fanbase have become expectant that they at least get to the final, or go one better in order to see progress. That, of course, didn’t happen this season after falling to Real Betis in the semi-finals.
That result, combined with Fiorentina’s inability to qualify for either of the more elite European competitions, left an impassioned fanbase calling for not only Palladino’s head, but also director Daniele Prade.
Despite signing a contract extension until 2027, Palladino resigned as Fiorentina manager at the end of May, despite the club’s best efforts to keep him.
Although his tenure in Florence was short-lived, he is credited with revolutionising their style of play, and also Monza’s before that in his previous role.
Much like Gasperini’s Atalanta, Palladino’s preference for explosive teams and a heavy reliance on wing-oriented attacks makes him an attractive option.
