Grosso poised for Fiorentina coach’s job after leaving Sassuolo

“Sassuolo have reached an agreement to terminate the contracts of first-team coach Fabio Grosso and his staff,” the Serie A club said.

Grosso, 48, had been in charge of Sassuolo since July 2024 when the club were playing in Serie B, the Italian second division.

At the end of his first season, the 2006 World Cup winner, who scored the decisive penalty that secured Italy the 2006 World Cup trophy in the shoot-out with France, led Sassuolo back to the top flight and this season the club finished 11th in Serie A.

The Italian press have linked Grosso with Fiorentina who had a difficult 2025-26 season under Stefano Pioli and then Paolo Vanoli but nevertheless secured survival, finishing 15th.

For the first time in his career, Grosso, formerly a defender with Palermo, Inter Milan and Juventus, would be at the helm of one of the historic clubs in the Italian league.

His only previous experience at a top club was with French outfit Lyon and it lasted just three months between September and November 2023.

He was sacked after seven matches with just one win and a particularly painful start when he was hit in the face and hospitalised following an attack on his team’s bus.

The Italian league is set for a coaching shake-up with in addition to Sassuolo and likely Fiorentina, Bologna, Napoli, AC Milan, and Lazio have changed manager or are about to change coaches.