In a statement published on Tuesday, the club said: "Atalanta BC announce that Raffaele Palladino has been relieved of his duties as First Team Head Coach, along with his coaching staff.
"Atalanta BC would like to thank Raffaele Palladino and his staff for their commitment, dedication and professionalism, wishing them every success in their future endeavours."
Palladino was appointed on November 11, 2025, as a replacement for the sacked Ivan Jurić — himself dismissed after a run of seven league games without a win — and signed a contract through to June 2027. He inherited a squad in crisis and guided it to seventh place in Serie A, securing UEFA Conference League football for next season. Under any other set of expectations, that might have been enough. At Atalanta, it was not.
The club's previous decade under Gian Piero Gasperini had produced back-to-back Champions League appearances, a Europa League title and sustained top-four finishes. Palladino's seventh-place finish — twelve points short of the Champions League places — represented a significant regression from that standard.
Their Champions League campaign ended in the round of 16, where they suffered a heavy 10-2 aggregate defeat against Bayern Munich.
Sarri, 67, is expected to sign a three-year deal with Atalanta. The appointment reunites him with sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, with whom he worked closely during their celebrated period together at Napoli — the same partnership that produced one of the most aesthetically distinctive teams in modern Serie A history.
Sarri most recently left Lazio by mutual consent. His managerial career includes a Serie A title with Juventus, a Europa League with Chelsea, and that celebrated near-miss with Napoli that came within a point of the Scudetto.
For Atalanta, rebuilding with Sarri represents a clear statement of ambition — and an acknowledgement that continuity is less important than finding the right man quickly.