Atletico Paranaense's decent 2016 campaign earned them a Copa Libertadores ticket, but the expectations were there as well at the start of the new season. The extra pressure didn't push the team from Curitiba to a higher level to be honest. The start of the season in the Serie A was actually quite disappointing and manager Paulo Autuori even became the first manager to leave his club. Eduardo Baptista took over and the fans hoped for better days as a result, but that satisfying period just didn't arrive.
Atletico Paranaense kept struggling for most of the time, which resulted in the 14th spot in July and another departure. Baptista got sacked and Fabiano Soares became the third coach in charge. The Atletico Paranaense outfit failed to reach the quarter final in the Copa Libertadores due to two narrow defeats against Santos, but the Curitiba side finally managed to bounce back in the Serie A. The relegation pressure got left behind and Atletico Paranaense even pushed for a top eight finish at some point, but that was just a bridge too far to be honest. This team was actually a typical mid-table outfit as they recorded fourteen wins and fifteen defeats. Atletico Paranaense performed decent at home and in the away games, but that wasn't enough to push for that Copa Libertadores spot. The fans will hope for better days next season, but that isn't an easy mission at all for the Curitiba club. Fabiano Soares already left the club and the board will have to search for a new manager once again.
