Eziolino Capuano Takes a Swipe at Fiorentina Over Fabio Grosso’s Firing
On Radio Napoli Centrale, during the show “Un Calcio alla Radio,” veteran coach Eziolino Capuano also weighed in. He discussed the situation at Fiorentina, where the club fired Fabio Grosso and brought back Paolo Vanoli, who hadn’t been retained after last season’s impressive run.
“You can’t fire a highly touted coach after just three games,” Capuano pointed out. “Even if Fiorentina lost all three matches, including the Coppa Italia game. But after three games, you can’t change the coach—otherwise, it’s your own failure. Besides, it’s easy to shift the blame onto the coaches.”
Grosso’s record on the Viola bench was indeed dismal: three losses in three league games, with a total goal difference of 1 goal scored and 9 conceded. First came the crushing 4-0 defeat at the Olimpico against Roma, then the 3-0 home loss to newly promoted Frosinone, and finally the comeback suffered against Torino at the Franchi, where the Viola had even taken the lead through Pellegrino before succumbing 2-1 to goals by Mandragora and Adams. A start not seen in Florence since the 1935–36 season. According to Sportmediaset, the straw that broke the camel’s back was a heated confrontation that took place Sunday evening around 11 p.m. between the now-former coach and sporting director Fabio Paratici, whose first move as a Viola executive had been precisely the hiring of the former World Cup champion.
In an official statement released on Monday, the club formalized Vanoli’s return: “ACF Fiorentina announces that Coach Paolo Vanoli has been appointed head coach of the Viola first team. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the coach for immediately and enthusiastically accepting the opportunity to return to lead the First Team.” The coach, whom Fiorentina had parted ways with at the end of last season despite the team’s hard-fought survival, now finds himself managing an emergency situation without having been able to participate in the summer transfer window.
All of this is happening as Fiorentina celebrates its centennial, with President Giuseppe Commisso receiving the Nereo Rocco Award and speaking with pride and ambition: “I am deeply honored to accept this award on behalf of everyone who is part of Fiorentina. For us, this is a very important moment—our centennial year. Now our goal is to build the next hundred years.” These words are sure to further inflame a fan base that is watching with concern as its team remains stuck in last place in the standings.
