Fiorentina sack Fabio Grosso after three straight losses; Paolo Vanoli favourite to return

A crisis born from three defeats

Fiorentina began the new Serie A season with three straight losses: 0-4 away to Roma, 0-3 at home to Frosinone, and 1-2 to Torino. Across these matches the team scored only once while conceding nine goals, a run that frustrated both fans and management. After the Torino defeat, supporters in the stadium chanted for Grosso to be sacked ("Grosso salta la panchina") — the same chant used against Stefano Pioli the previous season.

Tension between Grosso and Paratici

According to OneFootball, relations between Grosso and sporting director Fabio Paratici had cooled, partly over summer transfer decisions — Grosso reportedly wanted more experienced signings. Additional friction reportedly arose from Grosso's press-conference comments defending forward Moise Kean, which Paratici did not appreciate.

From "more time" to dismissal

On Monday, September 6, Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the club intended to keep faith in Grosso at least until the international break, giving him three matches — away at Venezia, the Coppa Italia tie against Pisa on September 15, and a league game against Napoli — to turn results around. However, later that same evening the situation changed: Sky Sport, citing an official club statement, reported that Fabio Grosso had in fact been dismissed as Fiorentina head coach. SOS Fanta and Gianluca Di Marzio also confirmed the sacking took place on Sunday evening.

Vanoli emerges as top candidate

Following Grosso's dismissal, Fiorentina's management, led by Paratici, has reportedly already opened talks with a potential successor. Journalist Fabrizio Romano (cited by SOS Fanta) and Gianluca Di Marzio report that Paolo Vanoli, who coached Fiorentina last season and kept the club in Serie A, is the leading candidate. Di Marzio states the club has already chosen Vanoli and is finalizing the last details of his return.

Grosso had led Fiorentina since June 2026, replacing Vanoli himself. Despite a summer transfer window that brought in Dragusin, Mastantuono and Beto, the start of the season became one of the club's worst in recent memory.