Serie A strugglers Salernanda fired coach Davide Nicola on Wednesday, marking the second dismissal in a month. The club, just four points above the relegation zone, confirmed the news with a brief statement on its website: “U.S. Salernitana 1919 announces that it has relieved Mr. Davide Nicola of his duties as First Team coach.” Nicola was not the only manager seeking a new job; fourth‑bottom Spezia, two points behind Salernanda, also announced the sacking of coach Luca Gotti.
Salernanda had previously dismissed Nicola in mid‑January after an 8‑2 defeat to Atalanta Bergamo, but owner Danilo Iervolino reversed that decision, giving the coach a reprieve after he had unexpectedly kept the club up last season. The latest dismissal follows a 1‑0 loss at Verona on Monday. The club quickly posted photos of Paulo Sousa conducting a training session earlier that day and released a statement: “U.S. Salernitana 1919 announces that it has reached an agreement with Mr. Paulo Sousa and entrusted him with the technical guidance of the first team.”
Spezia, currently 17th in the 20‑team league and one place and two points clear of Verona in the first relegation spot, made its own coaching change on Wednesday. “Spezia Calcio announces that it has relieved Luca Gotti of his position as head coach of the first team,” the club said. This makes Salernanda and Spezia the sixth and seventh Serie A clubs to change coaches this season. Gotti, a former Udinese manager, arrived at Spezia last summer to replace Thiago Motta, who had guided the promoted side to a 16th‑place finish in his sole season. Since the post‑World Cup restart in early January, Spezia have won only one league match, drawing three and losing three, including a 2‑2 draw at Empoli after leading 2‑0 with 20 minutes remaining.
Nicola, also a former Udinese manager who has coached Genoa and Torino, took charge of Salernanda in February. Under his guidance, the team earned 18 points from their last 15 games and escaped relegation by a single point. Sousa, a 52‑year‑old Portuguese, previously managed Fiorentina (2015‑2017) and played for Juventus and Inter Milan in the 1990s. After leaving Serie A, he has coached Bordeaux, the Poland national team, and Flamengo in Brazil.
Spezia will face Juventus on Sunday, while Salernanda host Lazio.
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