The fall of Fiorentina: How David de Gea and Co. went from shock Scudetto bid to becoming Serie A's worst team in the space of a year

With Christmas approaching, there are still two winless teams in Europe's 'Big 5' leagues. That one of them is Wolves is arguably unsurprising. The Fosun International-owned Premier League club sold two of their best players during the summer and squandered the proceeds on sub-standard signings. However, the fact that Fiorentina have yet to win a single game in Serie A is shocking.

Even if we ignore the fact that the Viola were one of the seven sisters of Italian football during the club's heyday, they finished sixth last season – above current table-toppers AC Milan. The expectation was that Fiorentina would be even more competitive in Raffaele Palladino's second year at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Palladino, though, quit at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, his replacement, Stefano Pioli, has already been sacked and results have yet to improve under new coach Paolo Vanoli. Consequently, the situation in Florence has turned toxic, with some players and their families being subjected to death threats.

So, what on earth is going on at Fiorentina? And do they have any hope of avoiding relegation to Serie B? GOAL breaks it all down below…

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  From an extension to sacked in three weeks

  On May 7, Fiorentina revealed that Palladino's contract with the club had been extended for an extra year until 2027. The news did not come as a surprise. Fiorentina were in the semi-finals of the Conference League and on course to qualify for the same competition via Serie A.

  Less than three weeks later, though, Palladino was gone, having parted company with the club by "mutual consent" – despite leading the Viola to their best league finish for nine years.

  While it was true that not all of the supporters had been convinced by the 41-year-old and his style of football, an alleged falling-out with sporting director Daniele Prade was believed to be the real reason for his unexpected exit.

  "I see football as a puzzle; all the pieces have to fit together to work," Palladino explained in an interview with the in September. "I'm proud of the work we did in Florence, but the conditions for moving forward together were no longer there. The ideas and visions were too different."

  Although he refused to get into specifics, it was abundantly obvious that Palladino had not wanted to walk away. Doing so clearly hurt him. But his departure also hit the players hard too.

  Palladino had formed a strong bond with his team and his appointment had proven a godsend for the likes of Moise Kean, who had hit a career-high 25 goals in all competitions across the 2024-25 season, while Manchester United outcast David de Gea had also got back to his brilliant best during a remarkable run of form in Florence that sparked giddy talk of a title challenge this time last year.

  As a result, the squad was stunned by Palladino's dramatic U-turn. "I have to say, the video calls and messages from the guys made me cry," the Neapolitan admitted. "I've experienced some great moments with them, and some very difficult ones, so something special was created. In fact, we still keep in touch today."

• 'Get the f*ck out!'

  By time of Palladino's interview, it was already clear that Pioli didn't have anything like the same rapport with the players, with Fiorentina having picked up just two points from his first four games in charge.

  Europe provided some relief, with the Viola winning their first two matches in the Conference League, against Sigma Olomouc and Rapid Wien, but they continued to struggle horribly in Serie A.

  The  majority of the fans' fury focused on Daniele Prade rather than Pioli and his ever-changing system, with stickers being placed in and around the Artemio Franchi featuring images of the sporting director's face on the body of a pig, accompanied by the word 'Vattene' ('Leave').

  The club's ultras had wanted him out for a long time, too, as they saw him as "the symbol of a sporting failure that has gone on for years".

  Enraged by the sale of top players (most painfully to hated rivals Juventus), a controversial logo change and an alleged lack of engagement with the club's staunchest supporters, The had actually called for Prade to follow Palladino out of the club back in June.

  "Prade: All roads lead to Rome… Take one and get the f*ck out!" read one banner hung outside the club's training ground.

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  Prade & Pioli pay price for rotten results

  In Prade's defence, he repeatedly insisted that he – and not Pioli – was responsible for Fiorentina's worst start to a Serie A season for more than 50 years, not least because relatively expensive signings such as Roberto Piccoli hadn't worked out at all.

  "If there is anyone who can get us out of this situation, it is Stefano Pioli," Prade told after the 2-1 defeat at AC Milan on October 19. "The rest is my fault, the protests from the fans are against me, and it is because the club put the strategy in my hands.

  "There were also other elements that haven’t helped: our stadium is a building site and we cannot have all our fans there, while we have three tournaments to play in. I feel bad for the fans, for the President (Rocco Commisso), and the coach. If there is anyone who should be fired or resign, it is me."

  There was an air of inevitability, then, about Prade's decision to step down on November 1 – the day before a vital relegation battle with fellow strugglers Lecce. However, his exit didn't alleviate any of the tension at the Artemio Franchi. On the contrary, it only intensified after a 1-0 loss that prompted a media blackout from the club before Pioli was eventually put out of his misery two days later with Fiorentina bottom of the league with just four points to their name.

  Despite initial reports that the Viola considered re-hiring Palladino – that weren't denied by director Alessandro Ferrari – they ultimately turned to former Torino coach Paolo Vanoli to try to save their season.

  "I'm proud to be back in Florence," the ex-Italy international said, "a city where I've already played and know what it means to win here." Unfortunately for Fiorentina, he seems to have forgotten how to win there – at least in Serie A.

• Dzeko calls out fans on lack of support

  Vanoli has already become the first Fiorentina coach since Ottavio Bianchi 23 years ago to fail to win any of their first four league games. Things had actually started reasonably well, with back-to-back draws away to Genoa and at home to Juve. However, after a dismal 1-0 loss to AEK Athens in the Conference League, veteran striker Edin Dzeko took aim at the negative atmosphere inside the Artemio Franchi.

  "You can say that we suck, that we don’t deserve to wear the shirt, that’s all fine, no problem," the Bosnian summer signing told . "However, if we are playing at home, then we need the fans to help us, not jeer at every misplaced pass.

  "We’ve got to get out of this situation together, this is not right. If you need to jeer, do it after the final whistle, but during the match we need your support. It’s all true, we are not playing well, but we still need your help.

  "We can’t seem to string two or three passes together, and that is not normal for a team like ours. The moment a player makes a mistake, the jeers start coming down, so then the next time he will feel anxious and perhaps not try to risk the pass, or he doesn’t want the ball at his feet. It all becomes more difficult.

  "We need more support from the stands. I understand it’s difficult at the moment, and the stadium situation is a bit strange (certain sections of the Artemio Franchi remain closed due to ongoing construction work), but we've got to have more support when we are playing at home. Otherwise, the negative energy just keeps spiralling."

  Dzeko's impassioned plea upset some supporters and led to the extraordinary sight of the striker grabbing a megaphone after the 2-0 loss to Atalanta three days later to address the away end at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo.