Serie A: Why Giovanni Stroppa Was Fired—Venezia Considers Two Possible Replacements

Giovanni Stroppa’s tenure as Venezia’s head coach came to an end after just six matchdays. The coach who led the Lagunari to promotion paid the price for the team’s disastrous start to the season, with six losses in the first six games and the team still stuck at zero points.

The 3-1 loss in Bergamo against Atalanta proved to be the final straw for the former Monza coach. “Venezia FC announces that it has relieved Giovanni Stroppa of his duties as head coach of the First Team,” reads the club’s statement. “Under his leadership, the club secured promotion to Serie A in the 2025–26 season, achieved at the end of a Serie BKT campaign in which the team played a leading role. The orange-black-and-green club wishes to thank Giovanni Stroppa and his staff for their work, professionalism, dedication, and commitment demonstrated throughout their time with the orange-black-and-green team.”

The management had decided to stand by Stroppa during the international break to allow him to work calmly and turn the situation around. However, the turnaround never materialized, and Venezia decided to turn the page, in part to shake up the team.

According to reports from Sky, Paolo Zanetti is the favorite to take over the Venetian team’s head coaching position. Currently without a team, the Vicenza-born coach led Venezia for two years from 2020 to 2022, playing a key role in their promotion. In addition to him, Davide Nicola’s name has been mentioned; he, too, is without a job after being fired by Cremonese in 2025.