Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini leaves Serie A club after nine years in charge
Gian Piero Gasperini has left his position as Atalanta head coach after nine years.
Gasperini, 67, transformed Atalanta into a regular in the Champions League and guided the club to the Europa League trophy in 2023-24.
Prior to his appointment, Atalanta had not achieved a top-half finish in Serie A in eight years, but since Gasperini's arrival, the Bergamo-based club have secured a top-eight finish for nine successive seasons with 2024-25 bringing their fourth third-place ranking.
Atalanta confirmed Gasperini's exit on Sunday and said: 'After so many years spent together we felt it was our duty to respect his desire to seek new stimuli, knowing full well that our relationship will never end and that our mutual respect will never diminish.'
Gasperini began his coaching career in Juventus' youth setup, before taking first-team head coaching roles at Crotone and Genoa.
An ill-fated spell in charge of Inter in 2011 saw him in charge for just five games before being dismissed, but he then took charge of Palermo and Genoa for a second time.
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However, it is at Atalanta where the Italian has truly made a name for himself, taking charge of over 400 games across nine years in Bergamo.
He helped guide the side to their first trophy in 61 years with victory in the Europa League in 2024, beating Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen in the final in Dublin. Under Gasperini, Atalanta also qualified for the Champions League five times in seven years.
Atalanta fans did not respond well to news of Gasperini's likely departure. The club's fans took to the streets in Bergamo on Friday with a banner signed by fans showing the message 'Gasperini must stay.'
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