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Monza has appointed Croatian coach Ivan Juric on a two-year contract that runs until the summer of 2028, the club said in a statement published on its official website. The move sees the 50-year-old replace Paolo Bianco, who secured the team’s return to Serie A by winning the promotion playoffs last May after finishing third in Serie B. Monza indicated that Juric’s deep experience in the league, built up over more than a decade, would help the side compete effectively and meet its seasonal objectives.
Since leaving his post at Atalanta in November 2025, Juric had been without a club, having joined the Bergamo side only in June of that year before being let go. He had earlier taken the reins at Southampton in December 2024 but departed in April 2025 following the south coast club’s relegation from the Premier League, The Athletic noted. The Croatian’s Italian coaching resume also features a two-month spell with Roma in 2024 as well as three years at Torino and two at Hellas Verona.
According to Transfermarkt, Juric boasts more than 200 games of Serie A experience across those roles while favoring a 3-4-2-1 formation that contributed to his reputation for organized defending. He launched his managerial career at Mantova in 2014 and quickly earned acclaim by taking Crotone up to the top flight in his next job, a background summary from Southampton recalled. As a player, the Split native represented Croatia five times before transitioning to coaching.
The promotion that Bianco delivered completed the 2026-27 Serie A roster, with Monza among the sides moving up from the second tier, Football Italia reported. The club, which saw its ownership shift toward a new investor group last year, now enters the top division with renewed ambition after a single season in Serie B. Its campaign in the lower tier demonstrated resilience that carried through to the decisive playoff matches in late May.
Qatar News Agency reported from Rome that the newly promoted club will open its Serie A account on August 22 with a match against Inter Milan. That heavyweight clash sets a demanding tone for Juric’s tenure as he seeks to implement his methods with a squad that will undergo further recruitment in the coming weeks. League officials have confirmed the full fixture list, placing Monza in a position where survival will be the initial priority before any higher aims.
