Serie A is not forgiving. Just three matches into the new Serie A season, Fiorentina have already pulled the trigger, sacking Fabio Grosso and making him the first managerial casualty of the 2026-27 campaign. The former Italy World Cup hero lasted less than three months in Florence after a disastrous start left the Viola rooted to the very bottom of the table.
Fiorentina’s Three Straight Defeats Force the Move
Three defeats, zero points, one goal scored and nine conceded proved too much for the Fiorentina hierarchy to tolerate. A 4-0 thrashing at Roma was followed by a 3-0 home loss to newly promoted Frosinone and a 2-1 defeat to Torino at the Artemio Franchi on Saturday. A 4-1 Coppa Italia win over Benevento in between did nothing to change the calculus. The club confirmed the decision in a brief statement Sunday night, ending Grosso’s tenure after he’d signed a two-year contract back in June. It’s the second straight season Fiorentina have made a coaching change this early — Stefano Pioli was axed at almost exactly this point last year too.
From Sassuolo Success to Florence Failure
Grosso arrived with a strong recent resumé, having guided Sassuolo to promotion from Serie B and then through a couple of solid campaigns back in the top flight. Those results earned him the Fiorentina job, replacing Paolo Vanoli, along with roughly $172 million (€150 million) in fresh transfer investment to work with. Yet the step up to a club with far higher expectations and a demanding fanbase exposed the limits of his project almost immediately. Constant changes in personnel and formation failed to produce any consistency or defensive solidity.
The Numbers That Sealed His Fate
The statistics paint a genuinely bleak picture. Fiorentina sit 20th in the table with a -8 goal differential, the club’s worst start to a season in 90 years. Supporters made their feelings clear after the Torino defeat, with audible boos at the Franchi. Reports also pointed to growing tension between Grosso and sporting director Fabio Paratici over how to reverse the slide, which appears to have accelerated the decision to move rather than wait things out until the international break.
What Comes Next for the Viola
Attention now turns to who takes over. Paolo Vanoli, who steadied the ship last season after taking charge in November, has been mentioned as a possible return option, though nothing is confirmed. Fiorentina travel to face Venezia on Friday, September 11, and desperately need a spark to keep this from turning into a full-blown relegation fight this early in the season. For Grosso, a coach still building his reputation at the highest level, the abrupt end in Florence will sting.
The speed of the sacking underlines how little patience remains in modern Serie A. Clubs invest heavily in the summer and expect immediate returns, and when results don’t materialize, the manager is almost always the first to pay the price. Grosso’s short, painful spell at Fiorentina is the clearest early reminder of that reality this season.
Fiorentina’s Fabio Grosso Becomes Serie A’s First Managerial Victim After Just 3 Games