Bologna sacks Domenico Tedesco after four matches and appoints Raffaele Palladino
The Italian club parted ways with Tedesco following three 0-1 defeats and a 2-2 draw, appointing former Atalanta coach Palladino through June 2029.
Managerial change at Bologna
Bologna officially dismissed head coach Domenico Tedesco on Wednesday morning after four Serie A matches in charge. The club appointed 42-year-old Raffaele Palladino as his immediate replacement, agreeing to a contract running through 30 June 2029. Tedesco took over the team on 1 July on a contract that was initially slated to run until 2028, meaning his tenure concluded after just over two months. Bologna published a brief statement confirming the decision and thanked Tedesco and his staff for their professionalism and competence. Palladino conducted his first training session on Wednesday afternoon ahead of his debut on Saturday against Torino.
- Domenico Tedesco officially takes charge as Bologna head coach.
- Tedesco receives a two-match ban after a red card in a 2-2 draw with Sassuolo.
- Bologna sacks Tedesco and appoints Raffaele Palladino through June 2029.
- Palladino leads Bologna in his first match against Torino.
Winless domestic start
The dismissal followed a winless start to the Serie A season in which Bologna secured one point from their opening four matches. The team suffered three separate 0-1 defeats against Lazio, Atalanta, and Napoli, alongside a 2-2 draw against Sassuolo. Across those four fixtures, Bologna scored two goals and sits in 16th place in the league table, fourth from the bottom. Tedesco faced structural challenges during his short stay, including a substantial squad overhaul that required integrating numerous young players on short notice. The move is the second managerial change in Serie A this season after Fiorentina replaced Fabio Grosso with Paolo Vanoli.
- vs Lazio
- 0 points
- vs Atalanta
- 0 points
- vs Sassuolo
- 1 points
- vs Napoli
- 0 points
Touchline ban and disciplinary issues
Tedesco's standing was further complicated by disciplinary trouble during the 2-2 home draw against Sassuolo earlier in September. The 41-year-old manager received a red card in stoppage time after directing a verbal attack at the match referee, with the confrontation continuing inside the dressing rooms. Serie A subsequently handed Tedesco a two-match suspension for what league officials characterized as "extremely disrespectful behaviour". That suspension forced Tedesco to watch the 0-1 defeat against Napoli from the stadium stands. Italian media reported growing dissatisfaction among Bologna's executive hierarchy leading up to the final decision.
Palladino takes the helm
Palladino arrives in Bologna following several managerial stints across Italy's top division. The former Italian international began his top-flight coaching career at Monza, where he spent two seasons before moving to Fiorentina in 2024. In November 2025, Palladino took charge of Atalanta, guiding the Bergamo club over a seven-month spell through June 2026. Under his management, Atalanta finished the previous campaign in seventh place, three points ahead of eighth-placed Bologna. Palladino now faces the immediate task of stabilizing Bologna's defensive structure and lifting the squad from 16th place, starting with Saturday's home encounter against Torino.
Tedesco's coaching career
Before his brief spell in Italy, Tedesco built an extensive international coaching resume across Germany, Belgium, and Turkey. The German-Italian manager previously led FC Schalke 04 and RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga. Between February 2023 and January 2025, Tedesco served as the head coach of the Belgium national team before taking over Turkish club Fenerbahce. Following his departure from Istanbul in April, Tedesco joined Bologna during the summer transfer window. His dismissal concludes his tenure after four competitive league fixtures.
