Stefano Pioli sacked as Fiorentina boss amid winless start to season just four months after leaving Al-Nassr for Serie A return

The Viola are winless in the league this season, with four draws and six defeats in their opening 10 matches, leaving them near the bottom of the table. Their strong start in the UEFA Conference League, where they sit top of the table with two wins from two games, wasn’t enough to save Pioli from dismissal.

The club’s official statement read: “ACF Fiorentina can confirm that Stefano Pioli has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the first team.”

Meanwhile Fiorentina have announced a temporary replacement for Pioli until a new head coach is appointed. The club stated: “Daniele Galloppa will take charge of the first team temporarily, starting from this afternoon's training session.”

Pioli’s sacking follows Fiorentina’s decision to terminate the contract of sporting director Daniel Prade.

Italian outlet Calciomercatosummed up Pioli’s downfall at Fiorentina by highlighting several key mistakes the tactician made during his tenure. It all began with an air of overconfidence that stemmed from his past successes with Milan and Al Nassr. The Italian coach often declared himself among the country’s top managers, even taking subtle digs at peers such as Massimiliano Allegri and Luis Enrique. However, this arrogance backfired as results worsened and performances declined, with Pioli appearing to lose confidence with each passing game.

On the pitch, Fiorentina looked disorganised and lacked chemistry despite Pioli’s claims of productive training sessions. His frequent tactical switches between the 3-5-2, 3-4-2-1 and 4-4-2 formations only deepened the confusion, leaving players uncertain and disconnected. Pioli even tried deploying Fagioli as a deep-lying playmaker in a 4-4-2 system, but the experiment was abandoned after a draw against Como. His substitutions often worsened matches rather than improving them, exposing his poor in-game management.

Fiorentina’s summer transfer activity, conducted jointly by Pioli and sporting director Prade, also proved problematic. Pioli’s initial tactical plan relied on a three-man attack featuring Moise Kean, Edin Dzeko or Roberto Piccoli, and Albert Gudmundsson, leading the club to invest heavily in Piccoli. However, after a string of disappointing results, Piccoli was benched and the three-man attack was scrapped altogether, rendering that investment a costly misstep.

Pioli was appointed as interim head coach of AC Milan in 2019, replacing Marco Giampaolo. He implemented a 4-2-3-1 system that revitalised the team and restored Milan’s identity. With the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pioli brought stability and experience, helping young players such as Rafael Leao, Theo Hernandez and Sandro Tonali reach their full potential. Under his guidance, Milan qualified for the Champions League in the 2020–21 season after a seven-year absence. The following year, Pioli led the Rossoneri to their first Scudetto since 2011, marking a remarkable turnaround.

He continued to impress in Europe, guiding Milan to the Champions League semi-finals in the 2022–23 season before leaving the club in 2023–24. During his tenure, Pioli managed 240 matches, recording 128 wins, 64 draws, and 48 defeats.

In 2024, he took charge of Saudi side Al-Nassr, where he reportedly became the fourth highest-paid manager in the world. At the Riyadh club, he managed stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane, achieving 22 wins, six draws and six losses during the 2024–25 season.

Fiorentina take on German side Mainz in the Conference League on Thursday as they look to appoint a replacement as soon as possible. For Pioli, the Fiorentina sacking will come as a setback, but given his impressive accomplishments with Milan, he will be hoping to find a new opportunity either in Italy or abroad.