Serie A giants Fiorentina set to sack Stefano Pioli as board set sights on potential replacement

Medon Berisha scored the only goal of the match in the 23rd minute as Fiorentina went down to Lecce in the Serie A. This was their third loss in the last five games, and apart from Lecce, they also faced defeat at the hands of Inter and Milan, while securing a 2-2 draw against 10-man Bologna. The latest defeat is believed to be the root cause behind the potential sacking of Pioli, who joined the club this summer after a stint in Asia with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr. Notably, the Viola, after 10 games in the domestic league, are yet to register a victory, losing six games and drawing the other four. Despite possessing players like Edin Dzeko and Italy international Moise Kean up front, they have struggled for goals.

According to a report by TuttoMercatoWeb, the administrators are currently working on settling the financial aspect of the deal, which will be paid as compensation to Pioli. The former Al Nassr supremo was signed on a three-year contract with a salary of over €3 million net per season. The decision-makers, technical director Roberto Goretti and general manager Alessandro Ferrari, are looking for new options, with Paolo Vanoli emerging as a top candidate to take over the reins. However, Fiorentina might also make a shocking move by appointing the youth coach Daniele Galloppa as an interim solution. 

A twist in the tale, or the most recent development, is that Pioli had a long call with the Fiorentina board. At the same time, he has communicated his decision not to step down. According to Football Italia, the coach is ready to make adjustments in his existing contract; however, he is not ready to  resign. He has been in charge of Fiorentina for 114 days, managing them in 14 matches. While he has won four games, the fact that his side are yet to record a victory in Serie A has left trigger fingers in the boardroom rather itchy. 

Whether Pioli would be forcefully sacked in the upcoming days is a matter for the future. Fiorentina now have two important fixtures before the November international break commences. On Thursday, they will face German side Mainz in the Conference League, and three days later, they will lock horns with bottom-placed Genoa in a vital clash. The positive so far about Pioli is that his side has won both their Conference League games, and successive wins against Mainz and Genoa might offer him a cooling period before club football resumes in late November, where they'll have to face Juventus and Atalanta in the league and AEK Athens in the continental competition. If they record two wins this week, it would mark the first time that Pioli has managed the side to successive victories.