Serie A side Fiorentina have taken the drastic decision to sack Fabio Grosso after just three league games in charge, with the club now working to bring former manager Paolo Vanoli back to the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Grosso’s brief tenure has come to a premature end after Fiorentina suffered three consecutive Serie A defeats, leaving La Viola rooted to the bottom of the table despite significant investment in the transfer market.
The decision came quickly overnight, with the Fiorentina hierarchy deciding that a change was necessary rather than giving Grosso additional matches to turn the situation around.
At one stage, it appeared the former Italy international could be given three more games to save his position, but the club ultimately opted for a much more drastic solution after a disastrous opening to the campaign.
Fiorentina began the Serie A season with a heavy 4-0 defeat away to AS Roma before suffering another damaging result at home, losing 3-0 to Frosinone.
Their third league fixture brought no improvement, with Torino securing a 2-1 victory to leave Fiorentina without a single point from their opening three matches.
The defensive problems have been particularly concerning, with La Viola conceding nine goals across those three league fixtures.
A 4-1 Coppa Italia victory over Benevento provided a brief positive result, but it was not enough to convince the Fiorentina hierarchy to continue with Grosso.
Fiorentina are now working to finalise the details of Vanoli’s return. The former manager left the club at the end of last season despite helping Fiorentina fight their way towards Serie A survival, but the club now believes he is the right person to bring the campaign back on track.
Vanoli’s familiarity with the squad and the club is viewed as an important factor as Fiorentina look for an immediate turnaround.
Softfootball reported late in August that Fiorentina had also opened talks with Manchester United over a potential loan move for Joshua Zirkzee.
The Netherlands international was allowed to leave Old Trafford this summer and had attracted interest from clubs across Europe. Fiorentina and United discussed an initial loan deal until the end of the season, with an option to potentially make the transfer permanent next summer.
However, the proposed move for Zirkzee did not go through again, leaving Fiorentina without the attacking reinforcement they had hoped to secure.
The club’s poor start has now increased the pressure on the recruitment and managerial decisions made during the summer, particularly with Fiorentina having spent significantly in the transfer window.
Vanoli is not the only name being considered. Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor have also emerged as candidates for the position, although Fiorentina currently view Vanoli as the leading option.
Tudor, who has previous experience in Serie A, most recently managed Tottenham for a brief and disappointing stint last season, while Motta remains another potential alternative should negotiations with Vanoli fail to produce an agreement.
For Fiorentina, however, the priority is clear: the club wants a drastic change before the poor start develops into a much bigger crisis.
Grosso’s departure after only three Serie A matches underlines the urgency within the Fiorentina hierarchy, with the club now hoping that a familiar face in Vanoli can stabilise the team and revive their season.
