Raffaele Palladino arrives at Bologna with a familiar task: take charge during the season, restore order quickly and convince a reduced squad that its place in Serie A still has to be earned week by week. For a coach who is only 42, this is already his fourth different Serie A club in four seasons.
Palladino’s next chapter at Bologna
Headline: Palladino faces Bologna rebuild after Fiorentina promise and Atalanta setback
SEO title: Raffaele Palladino takes on difficult Bologna task in Serie A
SEO description: Raffaele Palladino begins another Serie A challenge at Bologna, where departures and a difficult league position leave little margin for error.
Bologna is the latest test for Palladino, whose reputation remains stronger than the abrupt end of his Fiorentina spell and the less convincing outcome that followed in Bergamo. He has been brought in after Ivan Juric, inheriting a side still fighting through the campaign rather than being given the comfort of a full summer rebuild.
The scale of the job is clear. Bologna’s sales of Jonathan Rowe, Jhon Lucumi and Santiago Castro strengthened the club’s finances, but removed important quality from the squad. Domenico Tedesco accepted that situation and has now borne its consequences. Palladino must work with the players left behind and guide a team that will have to battle hard merely to secure a top-half finish.
From Fiorentina’s high point to an unexpected departure
- At Monza, Palladino emerged as one of the younger coaches to watch in Serie A.
- He then moved to Fiorentina, where the club hoped he could build a sustained cycle comparable to Vincenzo Italiano’s three-year period, which brought three finals.
- Fiorentina finished sixth with 65 points under Palladino, the best league total of Rocco Commisso’s ownership, while Moise Kean scored 19 times to finish second in the Serie A scoring chart.
- Despite those results, sections of the Fiorentina support protested against him on the final matchday.
- Only hours after Commisso had spoken of Palladino almost as a son, the coach’s departure was announced. The reasons have never been fully clarified.
- Atalanta subsequently appointed him during the season to replace Juric, but the spell in Bergamo did not develop as hoped.
- Now Bologna offers another chance to rebuild his standing, albeit with a group considered less strong on paper than the Fiorentina and Atalanta squads he previously managed.
A possible route through Piccoli
At Fiorentina, Kean was central to Palladino’s best work. His importance extended beyond his goals: David de Gea’s longer passes could release him quickly into space, allowing the rest of the side to push forward and support the attack.
Bologna could try to create a similar outlet through Roberto Piccoli. Fiorentina had signed the striker on Stefano Pioli’s recommendation as cover for Kean, and Palladino may now look to make him the reference point of the new attack.
The basic idea would be straightforward: Lukasz Skorupski looking for Piccoli early, with Bologna advancing together to reduce the gap between their striker and midfield. Palladino has developed a reputation for getting more from centre-forwards, and Piccoli’s revival may become one of the defining themes of this appointment.
Defensive balance and the wide positions
Palladino’s Fiorentina experience also reshaped his thinking on the structure behind the forwards. He initially used a back three, but the side looked exposed. A switch to four defenders during the second half against Lazio, encouraged by sporting director Daniele Pradé and members of the dressing room, helped change Fiorentina’s season.
He is therefore expected to begin with a four-man defence at Bologna, although there is no certainty that the shape will remain fixed. The midfield appears less open to debate. Palladino learned in Florence that a two-man central unit could leave his team too vulnerable, so three midfielders are likely in his first matches.
- Lewis Ferguson, Tommaso Pobega and Amondarain could form the core of a more stable midfield.
- Riccardo Orsolini is likely to be an important wide option once he is available.
- Federico Bernardeschi’s experience makes him difficult to leave out.
- Nicolò Cambiaghi is expected to provide the first alternative from the bench or in rotation.
Rowe would have suited Palladino’s preference for quality from the wings, but he is no longer at the club. That absence sharpens the importance of Orsolini and Bernardeschi, particularly if the coach settles on the 4-3-3 that has brought him his clearest positive results.
Bologna have not appointed Palladino to provide a quick headline. They have appointed him to give a weakened side a direction before the season slips away. His previous clubs show both sides of his story: he can raise a team’s level, but he also knows that strong league finishes do not always guarantee stability. In Emilia, the work starts with survival of standards, balance in the side and the difficult search for goals.
