Juric lands on his feet again: Monza offer him a third shot at redemption in 18 months

AC Monza have made their decision and chosen Ivan Juric as their new head coach. Following the breakdown in talks with Paolo Bianco and discussions with Alberto Gilardino, the Brianza club - now with Pedro Obiang as sporting director - have opted for the Croatian to lead the team into the new season.

It will be a demanding campaign. As a newly promoted side, Monza’s primary objective will be securing survival in Serie A.
“We are convinced we have two key strengths: expertise and management ability. We have two clear examples in front of us: Atalanta, who in ten years went from battling relegation to becoming European regulars, and Como, who in just two years climbed from Serie B to the Champions League. They are very inspiring stories. The problem is that, with all these upgrades, the bottom end of the table has become increasingly crowded: the newly promoted clubs, Lecce, Parma, Cagliari...” chief executive Mauro Baldissoni said last week.

The former AS Roma executive was the driving force behind the club’s new sporting structure - and the man who decided to place his trust in a coach who, just two years ago, was among the most highly regarded managers in Italian football but who now, somewhat surprisingly, has been handed another opportunity in the top flight.

Because the reality is that Juric’s post-Torino career could hardly have gone much worse. After three largely positive seasons with Torino FC, he was appointed by AS Roma during the September international break in 2024 as the successor to Daniele De Rossi. He accepted the challenge, but less than two months later he was out of a job. Four wins, three draws and five defeats convinced the Giallorossi hierarchy to dismiss him on 10 November and replace him with Claudio Ranieri.

Juric barely had time to catch his breath before returning to the dugout. At the end of December he was appointed by Southampton FC in the Premier League, tasked with pulling off what already looked like an unlikely escape from relegation.

The Split-born coach failed to turn things around. In fact, Southampton’s decline accelerated. His record read one win, one draw and 12 defeats in 14 matches, as the Saints set several unwanted records for a relegated side. He was dismissed in April and ended his brief spell in England with the worst points-per-game average in Premier League history.

His first Premier League adventure could scarcely have ended in more disappointing fashion. Yet, despite that, Atalanta came calling in the summer.

In a move that surprised many, Atalanta BC selected Juric as the man to succeed Gian Piero Gasperini after nine years at the helm. It was one of the toughest assignments in Italian football: replacing the coach who had transformed the Bergamo club and written the most successful chapter in its history.

The task proved beyond him. Juric managed four wins, eight draws and three defeats before being dismissed after just 15 matches. On 10 November 2025, exactly one year after his Roma sacking, he was relieved of his duties and replaced by Raffaele Palladino.

Which brings us to today.

This time the wait has been longer, but after two turbulent years, another opportunity at a Serie A club seemed far from guaranteed. Yet Monza have come forward with exactly that.

For Juric, it is another chance to rebuild his reputation - remarkably, a third opportunity for redemption in the space of just 18 months.

A privilege few managers are afforded.