Team around Gosens, Džeko & Co.
©IMAGO
The return of Milan’s former master coach Stefano Pioli to ACF Fiorentina had raised great hopes in the summer: for the next step after three lost finals in the Coppa Italia and Conference League, for the first Champions League participation and the best Serie A placement since fourth place ten years ago. The former Viola professional’s second term in office now threatens to end after just 14 games and possibly before the guest appearance in Mainz on Thursday (8:45 p.m.). After the 0-1 defeat against Lecce on Sunday, there was a shrill concert of whistles on the construction site of the Artemio Franchi Stadium.
According to consistent Italian media reports, an emergency management meeting on the night of Sunday to Monday resulted in the decision that a separation from Pioli was unavoidable. Four points from ten Serie A games and no win mean the worst start to the season in the club’s history. It is now a matter of finding a financially viable solution for terminating the contract, because: The contract concluded in the summer until 2028 reportedly brings the 60-year-old 5.5 million euros gross per year. The final decision lies with club owner Rocco Commisso and the long list of problems begins with the 75-year-old.
Florence boss not on site, sports director resigned
Commisso, patron of the Tuscans since 2019, has been in the USA for months. After the 3-0 win at Rapid Vienna on October 23rd, he is said to have sent a message full of empty phrases to the team that did not address the threatening situation in the league. There is a lack of leadership on site in Florence, even more so now. The architect of the squad, Daniele Pradè, described the game against Lecce as vital after the 3-0 defeat against Inter during the week. On Saturday, the 58-year-old officially resigned from his position by mutual consent.
In addition to the inevitable search for a coach, a new sports director also has to be found. Long-time media director Alessandro Ferrari, managing director since 2024, and Pradès assistant Roberto Goretti are running the club for the time being in Commisso’s absence. If the fans want them, they could all go. At the weekend, banners signed by Curva Fiesole, the hard core of AC fans, appeared in the city. The Ultras criticized everyone without exception: club management, coach and team. The city of Florence itself also came under fire. The background to this is the slow progress in the renovation of the Artemio Franchi, which can currently only be used to around 50 percent capacity.
Problems at Milan: What’s wrong with Pioli and Florence
The uncertainty that the chaos has caused on all fronts has been clearly noticeable in the team in recent weeks. There is hardly anything left on the pitch of the good development under Pioli’s predecessors Raffaele Palladino, who left the club in the summer in a dispute with Pradè over different ideas, and Vincenzo Italiano. The goal against Lecce was telling: Midfield talent Cher Ndour (21) lost the ball while moving forward and Medon Berisha only had to push in unmarked at the far post after cross provider Tete Morente had not been attacked.
Pioli did not manage to convey to the team around Robin Gosens (31, currently injured) and Edin Džeko (39) the values and basic tactical principles that made him a crowd favorite at Milan between 2019 and 2024. In his last season with the Rossoneri it became clear that the coach had missed out on developing further. High intensity, dynamism and variable positioning initially made Pioli look like a revolutionary at Milan. Little by little, the balance between defense and midfield was lost. The high defensive line was becoming easier to outplay.
In his year in Saudi Arabia at Al-Nassr with Cristiano Ronaldo, Pioli seems to have failed to find a solution to these problems. With 16 goals conceded, Fiorentina has the worst defense in Serie A; under Palladino it was the sixth best. The Viola squad lacks the necessary offensive wingers for his favorite system, the 4-2-3-1, but the 3-5-2 chosen for this reason offers little penetration in attack. Top scorer Moise Kean (25) had his best season last year and scored 19 Serie A goals. This season he only has two, Džeko is still waiting in the league and Roberto Piccoli (24), signed for 25 million euros, is just a joker.
The name Palladino has been almost omnipresent in Florence for weeks. Pioli, who also had a good reputation at Milan for his relationship with the team, is accused on blogs close to the club of not having developed any closeness to the team, while the 41-year-old was almost like a big brother to the players. The favorite to succeed him is another who also knows the club from his time as a player: Paolo Vanoli. The 53-year-old long-time assistant to Antonio Conte had looked after FC Torino in the previous season, but had no resounding success there. At the beginning of November, without a win and in 19th place, it is no longer about big dreams and the European Cup, but primarily about staying in the league.