For the 2002–03 season, after his contract with Torino had expired, ambitious Serie B club Palermo signed him on a free transfer; Asta, a key player for the team, however experienced a serious ankle injury during the last league match of the season, against Lecce, and did not manage to recover, missing out on Palermo's defeat in the Serie A play-off match, as they finished the season in fourth place. He retired in 2004, after Palermo won the Serie B title, winning promotion to Serie A the following season, despite failing to make an appearance throughout the season due to his injury.