The Italian first division soccer team US Salernitana has released its head coach Davide Nicola (49) from his duties for the second time in 30 days.
Like the Table-16. announced in Serie A that Paulo Sousa (52) will succeed Nicola.
Sousa won the Champions League as a player with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and most recently coached Brazilian club Flamengo from Rio de Janeiro.
Predecessor Nicola had already been on leave from Salernitana, where former Bayern player Franck Ribéry is part of the management, in mid-January after a 2-8 defeat against Atalanta Bergamo. At that time, however, a backwards roll promptly followed: “Now we are ALL starting again together,” wrote the coach on social media after club president Danilo Iervolino had changed his mind again two days after Nicolas was thrown out.
“I asked the President with all my might to reconsider my dismissal,” Nicola explained the surprising turnaround at the time. According to media reports, the southern Italian team had also spoken out in favor of their coach staying on. Now there is no going back for now.
Salernitana is four points above the relegation zone in Serie A, on Wednesday the team lost 1-0 at fellow competitor Hellas Verona, on Sunday (3:00 p.m.) they face Lazio Rome. The record in 2023 can be expanded with just one win from seven games – Sousa can now devote himself to this task.