Fiorentina have confirmed the appointment of Paolo Vanoli as their new head coach following the dismissal of Stefano Pioli, whose tenure ended after the club’s worst-ever start to a Serie A campaign.
The 53-year-old Vanoli, who has been without a club since departing Torino at the end of last season, arrives at the Stadio Artemio Franchi with the unenviable task of rescuing a side languishing at the foot of the table. The former Italy international defender brings experience from previous coaching stints at Spartak Moscow and Venezia, as well as his single season at Torino.
Fiorentina’s decision to part ways with Pioli came after a torrid run that saw the Florence-based outfit collect just four points from their opening 10 matches—a record that represents the club’s poorest start to a top-flight season in its history.
Vanoli faces an immediate baptism of fire, with his first match in charge scheduled for Sunday against fellow strugglers Genoa. The fixture presents an opportunity for the new manager to arrest the alarming slide that has left the Viola rooted to the bottom of Serie A.
The managerial change at Fiorentina marks the third coaching casualty in Italy’s top division this season. Juventus recently moved to replace Igor Tudor with former Italy and Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti, whilst Genoa have turned to Daniele De Rossi following Patrick Vieira’s departure.
Vanoli’s appointment signals Fiorentina’s determination to reverse their fortunes and climb away from the relegation zone. The club’s hierarchy will be hoping the experienced coach can quickly instil confidence and organisation into a squad that has struggled for form and consistency throughout the campaign.
The former Torino boss will need to work swiftly to address the defensive frailties and lack of cutting edge that have plagued Fiorentina’s season thus far. With the January transfer window still some weeks away, Vanoli must extract improved performances from the current squad if the club is to avoid an unprecedented relegation battle.
Sunday’s encounter with Genoa, themselves struggling near the bottom of the table, represents a crucial opportunity for Vanoli to claim his first victory and begin the arduous task of rebuilding morale amongst the Fiorentina faithful.
