Serie A side Fiorentina have parted ways with head coach Stefano Pioli, effective immediately, following a catastrophic start to the 2025-26 campaign that has left the Viola rooted to the bottom of the table.
The Tuscan club announced the dismissal on Tuesday evening, capping a dismal 10-match winless streak in which Pioli’s men failed to secure a single victory.
Fiorentina have amassed just four points from draws against Cagliari, Hellas Verona, Monza, and Como, suffering heavy defeats to the likes of Inter (4-0), Atalanta (3-0), and Lazio (2-0). This marks the worst top-flight opening in the club’s 98-year history, eclipsing the previous low of five points from the first 10 games set in 1939-40.
Pioli, 60, had been reappointed in July 2024 for a second stint at the Artemio Franchi, returning after a brief and underwhelming spell at Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr, where he managed less than a year.
His prior tenure with Fiorentina from 2017 to 2019 yielded a respectable mid-table finish and two Coppa Italia semi-finals, but this return has been marred by tactical inflexibility, defensive frailties, and an inability to integrate summer signings like Moise Kean and David de Gea effectively.
Under Pioli, Fiorentina conceded 21 goals in those 10 fixtures—the league’s worst defensive record—while scoring a paltry six. Key players such as captain Cristiano Biraghi and midfielder Rolando Mandragora have publicly expressed frustration with the team’s lack of cohesion, with anonymous sources close to the dressing room citing “a complete breakdown in confidence” following a 3-1 home loss to newly promoted Parma last weekend.
The sacking makes Pioli the third Serie A managerial casualty of the season, following Juventus’ decision to axe Igor Tudor last week after a string of uninspiring results under the Croatian, and Genoa’s earlier parting with Patrick Vieira amid fan protests. It is also the second in just seven days, underscoring the ruthless pressure on coaches in Italy’s top flight.
In the interim, Fiorentina have promoted youth team coordinator Daniele Galloppa to the senior hot seat. The 39-year-old former midfielder, who hung up his boots in 2019 after a playing career with Parma and Siena, has no prior first-team managerial experience but is highly regarded within the club’s academy for developing talents like Federico Bernardeschi in the past.
Reports from Italy suggest the search for a permanent replacement is already underway, with Roberto D’Aversa emerging as a frontrunner.
The 49-year-old, sacked by Lecce in March after a headbutt incident with an opposing player, has a proven track record in promotion battles, having guided Parma back to Serie A in 2021 and keeping Empoli afloat last term.
Other names in the frame include Paolo Vanoli, the former Torino boss who steered Venezia to promotion in 2024 before departing amid boardroom tensions, and potentially a surprise foreign option like ex-Bologna coach Thiago Motta, though his commitments with Juventus make that unlikely.
Fiorentina, who finished a creditable sixth last season under Vincenzo Italiano and reached the Europa Conference League final in 2023, now face a relegation dogfight.
Their next fixture is a crucial game against Genoa on Sunday, where anything less than a win could deepen the crisis.
Pioli leaves with a mixed legacy in Florence—praised for his first spell’s stability but criticized for this season’s abject failure.
His overall Serie A record stands at 312 matches managed across stints at Lazio, Inter, Bologna, and Milan, where he spent five years (2019-2024) restoring the Rossoneri to Champions League contention before a mutual exit.
As the Viola hierarchy scrambles for solutions, one thing is clear: survival in Serie A demands more than sentiment—results are the only currency that matters.