Portugal Colonial - Monza turn to Juric for return to Serie A

"AC Monza announce that, effective from 1st July 2026, Ivan Juric will become the new head coach of the Biancorossi first team," the Lombardy-based outfit said in a statement.

Juric, under contract until 2028, will take over the reins from Italian Paolo Bianco, who, despite securing promotion for Monza to Serie A via the play-offs, was not retained by the club.

The 50-year-old Croatian arrives at the U-Power Stadium off the back of two disappointing spells in Serie A.

First at Roma, where he lasted less than two months between September and November 2024, and then at Atalanta, where he took over from his mentor Gian Piero Gasperini last summer before being sacked in November with a record of just 13 points from 11 matches.

Between these two stints in Italy, he managed Southampton from December 2024 to April 2025, but was unable to save them from Premier League relegation.

Monza -- owned by an American investor and the Berlusconi family, who became minority shareholders at the start of the year -- will be playing in the Italian top flight for just the fourth time in their history.

The off-season in Italy this year has produced its typical flurry of coaching changes.

Almost half of the 20 Serie A clubs have changed or are set to change their coach, including AC Milan, who appointed Ruben Amorim to replace Massimiliano Allegri, who himself is set to take over at Napoli following the departure of Antonio Conte.

N.Esteves--PC