Fiorentina In Crisis: ‘Do-Or-Die’ For Paolo Vanoli After Lausanne Loss With Supporters To Walk Out
La Viola's 1-0 defeat in the Conference League consigned them to the play-offs.
Paolo Vanoli has been handed one do-or-die chance to save his Fiorentina job with the club stuck in a crisis.
Fiorentina Suffer Conference League Blow
La Viola are in freefall in Serie A, with nine defeats from 15 leaving them rock bottom of the table. They were also forced to settle for the Conference League play-offs after losing 1-0 against Lausanne last night.
Despite holding their qualification fate in their own hands, Vanoli’s side underwhelmed yet again, allowing their opponents to qualify for the last-16 at their expense after Gabriel Sigua’s 58th-minute strike.
Bizarrely, the under-fire boss claimed his side would not have reached the next round directly if they had won.
This, however, was incorrect. Indeed, they would have finished in the top eight if they had won by two goals.
Despite the chaos, journalist Nicolo Schira reported the club are set to give Vanoli one more game.
The Italian strugglers will host Udinese on Sunday, and Schira has declared there is now no room for error.
Posting an update on X, he wrote: “The league match is already a do-or-die situation.”
Fiorentina’s collapse since Vanoli’s arrival has been nothing short of staggering. The 53-year-old only took charge in November after Stefano Pioli was sacked following a run of 10 matches without a win in Serie A.
Vanoli had been out of work since leaving Torino at the end of last season. He previously coached Venezia and at youth level for Italy. However, he has overseen another worrying slump in Florence.
Time now looks to be rapidly running out – for both him and the club.
#Fiorentina orientata a dare una nuova chance Paolo #Vanoli nonostante la brutta sconfitta di Losanna e la mancata qualificazione diretta agli ottavi di Conference. Contro l’Udinese domenica però vietato sbagliare. Quella in campionato è già un’ultima spiaggia. #calciomercato
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) December 19, 2025
Paolo Vanoli Challenges His Players To Fight
Damningly, Vanoli has earned just one win since taking the job, with two draws and five defeats in all competitions pushing him to the brink.
But he appears confident he will be given time, suggesting he would replace players not willing to fight in the January transfer window.
“I think they have what it takes to react. We have a big opportunity to prove that on Sunday,” he said.
“If it doesn’t happen, then we have the January transfer window. We’ll look into the eyes of those people who don’t want to fight, and we’ll move on. When we get to January, we’ll evaluate.”
Fiorentina Supporters To Stage Protest
Ahead of this weekend’s must-win showdown, Fiorentina supporters have announced an organised walk-out.
A scathing statement from the Curva Fiesole read: “The devastation that the team and club are carrying out has now exceeded all limits of tolerance for all Viola fans.
“The organised groups therefore announce that for the first 20 minutes of the match between Fiorentina and Udinese, the Curva Fiesole will remain empty. We invite the entire stadium to do the same. Silence and our absence are what those who are trampling on the history of a city and its people deserve.
“Shame on you all!“
Matchgoers will also have been disheartened after learning owner Rocco Commisso will not sell the club.
Dan Davis
Dan is an experienced sports journalist and part-time lecturer. An expert on Serie A and Italian football, he has produced content for the likes of the Daily Mail, Reach PLC, GiveMeSport, FourFourTwo and GRV Media. While Channel 4's iconic Football Italia was a bit before his time, the nostalgia - and pastries - fuelled his love of all things Calcio.
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