Playing Atzori started his professional playing career with Rome-based Serie C side
Lodigiani in 1988, then playing mostly at Serie B level with several teams, including
Perugia,
Reggina and most notably
Ravenna, where he spent a total four season. In 2001, he joined
Empoli, being a protagonist of the Tuscans' successful
2001–02 Serie B campaign which saw the team being crowned league winners under head coach
Silvio Baldini. He then played another season with Empoli in his personal first (and only) Serie A season. In 2003, he followed Silvio Baldini at
Palermo, who later won the Serie B title in 2003–04; he played only 17 league games out of 46 with the
rosanero, being relegated to the bench after Silvio Baldini's dismissal from the head coaching post.
Coaching After being released by Palermo in June 2004, Atzori chose to retire from football and instead focus on a management career, becoming
Silvio Baldini's assistant at
Parma. He then followed again Baldini also in his unsuccessful stints at
Lecce (2005–06) and
Catania (2007–08), both ended in his boss and mentor being sacked in mid-season. However, after Baldini was sacked from Catania in April 2008, Atzori decided instead to stay under new boss
Walter Zenga. In June 2008, Atzori left Catania to accept a head coaching offer from
Lega Pro Prima Divisione side
Ravenna, a team where he had already spent four seasons as a player. He guided Ravenna through a very impressive season and qualification into promotion playoffs, where Ravenna was defeated by
Padova in the semi-finals. However, his time back at Catania lasted only fifteen games, as he was dismissed on 8 December due to poor results. On 16 June 2010
Serie B club
Reggina announced Gianluca Atzori as the club's new head coach, replacing
Roberto Breda. On 9 June 2011, Atzori was named as the new head coach of
Sampdoria have been relegated to
Serie B, signing a two-year contract. After a disappointing start of season, with Sampdoria in seventh place despite being tipped as one of the leading direct promotion candidates during pre-season, Atzori was ultimately sacked on 13 November 2011. On 4 January 2013, he was named the new coach of
Spezia in
Serie B in place of the sacked
Michele Serena. His stint was, however, short-lived as he was sacked weeks later due to poor results and replaced by
Luigi Cagni. In June 2013, he was named the new head coach of the Serie B club
Reggina, thus marking a personal second stint at the Calabrian club. He was sacked in October 2013 and replaced by
Fabrizio Castori, but reinstated in December 2013. He successively served as head coach of
Serie B club
Pro Vercelli from December 2017 to January 2018, in a short but unsuccessful stint in charge of the
Bianche Casacche. On 27 September 2019 he was hired by
Serie C club
Imolese. He left Imolese at the end of the 2019–20 season. On 17 June 2021 Atzori has been appointed as head coach of the
Maltese Premier League side
Floriana. On 10 May 2023, after two years with the Maltese club during which he won the
2021–22 Maltese FA Trophy, Atzori parted ways with Floriana. He successively declared to have left the club due to unpaid wages, not having received a salary since January 2023, despite still having another year of contract with Floriana. On 2 December 2024, Atzori returned to Italy as the new head coach of ambitious
Serie D amateurs
Scafatese. ==Honours==