Rapid departure after winless league start

ACF Fiorentina relieved head coach Fabio Grosso of his duties on Sunday evening, ending his tenure after just three Serie A fixtures. The 48-year-old former Italian international defender became the first head coach across Europe's top five leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France) to be sacked during the 2026-27 campaign. Appointed on 8 June 2026 on a two-year contract through to 2028, Grosso had joined the Florence club after a two-year tenure with Sassuolo, where he won promotion from Serie B and secured an 11th-place top-flight finish. In total, Grosso oversaw just four competitive matches for Fiorentina, with his sole victory coming against second-tier Benevento Calcio in the Coppa Italia.

In league competition, Fiorentina suffered three consecutive defeats that left them bottom of Serie A on zero points alongside Genoa and Venezia. The campaign opened with a 4-0 away defeat against AS Roma, followed by a 3-0 home loss to newly promoted Frosinone on the day of the club's centenary celebration. Grosso's final match in charge was a 2-1 home defeat to Torino on Saturday afternoon. Matteo Pellegrino gave Fiorentina a 1-0 lead shortly after half time, but Rolando Mandragora equalised in the 74th minute before Che Adams scored the winner for Torino eight minutes from full time.

vs AS Roma4

vs Frosinone3

vs Torino2

vs AS Roma

4 goals

vs Frosinone

3 goals

vs Torino

2 goals

Data from the article text

Return of Paolo Vanoli to the bench

Following the loss to Torino, home supporters protested and demanded Grosso's departure. While club owner Joseph Commisso and the board finalised the dismissal on Sunday, intermediaries offered potential replacements including unattached managers Thiago Motta and Sérgio Conceição. Supporters also discussed Raffaele Palladino and Antonio Conte as alternatives. However, the club moved immediately to reappoint Paolo Vanoli, whose previous contract had not been renewed in June despite keeping the club in the top flight.

Fiorentina confirmed Vanoli's return on Monday, and the Varese-born manager took charge of afternoon training at the Viola Park complex ahead of Friday's league trip to Venezia. Vanoli had previously rescued Fiorentina last season, replacing Stefano Pioli in November following a 10-game winless start and guiding the team to a 15th-place finish. The club expressed appreciation for his willingness to step back into the role on short notice.

“A huge thank you goes to the coach for immediately agreeing to return to lead the first team.”

Centenary expectations and transfer investments

The managerial change coincides with Fiorentina's centenary year, following a summer transfer window led by sporting director Fabio Paratici, who invested approximately 130 million euros to reshape the first-team squad. The club acquired young prospects and international players, securing Franco Mastantuono on loan from Real Madrid and bringing Wilfried Gnonto back to Italy, alongside deals for Atta, Valdepenas, Viery and World Cup participant Oulai.

The squad overhaul also involved extensive late changes in attack, where departures including Moise Kean, Roberto Piccoli and Albert Gudmundsson were replaced by Beto, Matteo Pellegrino and Njie. Despite the financial investment, the rebuilt roster struggled in the opening weeks of the season, registering one goal scored and nine conceded across three rounds. Vanoli now faces the immediate task of organising the revamped squad as Fiorentina prepare for their visit to Venezia.