Palermo have sacked their manager Stefano Pioli before he had the chance to take charge of a Serie A game for the club.
Serie A club dismiss Stefano Pioli just three months after hiring him
Palermo have sacked their manager Stefano Pioli before he had the chance to take charge of a Serie A game for the club.
The club's president Maurizio Zamparini claimed Pioli had lost the backing of his squad ahead of the new season.
Pioli took over in June after spending a season with Italian rivals Chievo, but his tenure has lasted for just 90 days.
The top flight in Italy is still to get underway due to a strike but Zamparini has been explaining why he made the decision to dismiss Pioli.
No confidence
He said: "I saw that the team was no longer following the coach so I had to intervene and sack him.
"There was no confidence in him and I was worried that we would be heading in the wrong direction."
Devis Mangia has been promoted from his youth-team coaching role to take charge of the team on a caretaker basis, but Zamparini already has a successor in mind.
He has even considered hiring the coach who made way for Pioli's arrival this summer in Delio Rossi.
Successor
Zamparini said: "Delio Rossi has asked me to give him some time. I like him and he knows the players and the club well.
"I also like Claudio Ranieri and I contacted him but he might be considering other offers.
"In the meantime, we will continue as we are until one of the two becomes available."
