Bologna have made an early change on the bench, dismissing Domenico Tedesco after just four Serie A matches and appointing Raffaele Palladino as his replacement. Tedesco arrived at the club during the summer with the task of leading a new chapter for Bologna, but his time in charge lasted only a few weeks. The team collected just one point from its opening four league matches, with a draw against Sassuolo followed by defeats to Lazio, Atalanta and Napoli. Bologna also scored only two goals during that run, leaving the club 16th in the Serie A table when the decision was made. The club has now turned to Palladino, a 42 year old Italian coach with previous Serie A experience at Monza, Fiorentina and Atalanta. Bologna confirmed that Palladino has signed a contract running until June 2029 and will immediately begin working with the squad. His first match will come at home against Torino on September 19, giving him very little time to prepare for his debut. The appointment represents a quick return to management for Palladino after his departure from Atalanta at the end of last season.
Palladino also has a connection to one of Italy’s biggest football clubs because he spent part of his playing career at Juventus. Born in Mugnano di Napoli in 1984, he developed through Juventus’ youth system and eventually made his senior debut for the club. He played for Juventus between 2006 and 2008, making appearances in both Serie A and European competition. After leaving Turin, he continued his playing career with Genoa, Parma, Livorno and Crotone before eventually moving into coaching. His transition from player to manager began with Juventus’ youth system before he took charge of Monza’s first team in 2022. Palladino established himself as a Serie A coach during his time with Monza, where he took over the first team in 2022 and spent two seasons in charge. He later moved to Fiorentina, guiding the club to sixth place in Serie A during the 2024/25 campaign. His next opportunity came at Atalanta, where he took over during the 2025/26 season and eventually led the team to seventh place. Atalanta finished three points ahead of Bologna in the final standings, adding another interesting connection as Palladino now takes charge of the club he finished ahead of only a few months ago.
The timing of the change means Palladino will have to work quickly as Bologna prepare for their next league match. The club had originally been expected to give Tedesco more time to turn the situation around, but the poor start ultimately led the management to act immediately. Bologna will now begin a new chapter under a coach who already knows Serie A and has experience rebuilding teams at different stages of development. His first challenge will be Torino, with the new manager expected to lead his first training session before the weekend.
