Grosso sacked! Fiorentina lose to promoted side on centenary night after spending €150 million, suffer three straight defeats

After only three Serie A matches, Fiorentina have already written embarrassment at the very bottom of the table.

They spent nearly €150 million, brought back many legends for the centenary celebration, but were beaten 3-0 at home by a promoted team, lost 4-0 away to Roma, and surrendered a lead against Torino. Such a start looks like a joke for any big-spending club.

Grosso took charge in June and left on September 7 after only three league games, becoming the first coach dismissed in Europe's top five leagues in the 2026-27 season. The more money spent, the harder the fall, which is Fiorentina's biggest embarrassment now.

The centenary milestone pushed expectations to the maximum

2026 marks Fiorentina's 100th anniversary, and the club began commemorative events from late August.

On September 2, a legends match was held at the Franchi Stadium. Batistuta, Roberto Baggio, Luca Toni, Rui Costa, Ribery, Sebastian Frey, Adrian Mutu and Borja Valero reunited, while Totti and Zanetti were among the Serie A veterans on the opposing side. More than 20,000 fans watched the all-star team win 7-3.

The shirt sponsor also released a centenary edition, and before the second-round match against Frosinone there were light shows, music and a huge Tifo. The legends' return was about emotion, fans came for victory, but the celebration night became the backdrop for defeat.

The grander the celebration, the more humiliating a home loss to a promoted team looked. A giant Batistuta image hung in the stands, while the team could not even handle basic defensive marking. The contrast hurt more than the 0-3 score itself.

Buying half a team in the summer window looked impressive on paper

Fiorentina's summer window was not a minor adjustment, but almost a rebuild.

Media statistics put total spending at about €150.3 million, with around 15 arrivals and net spending of about €122.82 million, among Serie A's highest behind Milan and Juventus. Some reports listed €127 million net investment, with the difference coming from statistical rounding.

The signings included striker Matteo Pellegrino from Parma for about €22.5 million, Urai from Trabzonspor for around €26 million, French midfielder Atta from Udinese for about €25 million, and Beto from Everton for around €18 million.

The loan and supplementary additions included names such as Mastantuono, Deleguin and Goncalves.

The squad's total value is estimated by different platforms at €320 million to €350 million. At the higher estimate, summer spending accounted for about 40% of the squad value. The issue was not buying many players, but replacing half the starting lineup at once and having to rebuild tactical understanding from zero.

Spending money is not shameful; scoring only one goal and conceding nine after spending is. If recruitment only piles up names without chemistry, even an expensive dressing room cannot become immediate quality.

Three matches, three different ways to lose: Grosso experienced them all

In the first round away to Roma, Fiorentina lost 0-4. The defense was stretched, transitions failed, and the team looked unable to adapt to Serie A intensity. Reports mentioned Roma's Malen scoring a hat-trick and Dybala providing several assists, while Fiorentina's new attacking players lacked familiarity and tracked back slowly.

In the second round, Fiorentina returned to the Franchi against Frosinone and lost 0-3 on the centenary celebration night. The promoted side should have been a target for points, but Fiorentina suffered back-to-back clean-sheet defeats, with legends watching and fans booing. Grosso's lineup could not control the rhythm.

In the third round against Torino at home, Pellegrino scored the team's first league goal of the season with a long-range shot from 30 meters in the 47th minute.

Just when they looked set to take points, former player Mandragora equalized with a powerful shot outside the box in the 74th minute without celebrating, and Che Adams scored a side-hook winner in the 82nd minute as Fiorentina lost 1-2 again.

Three matches, one goal scored, nine conceded and zero points at the bottom marked Fiorentina's first Serie A opening three-game losing streak since 1935-36. Ninety-one years after the previous similar humiliation, the centenary year coincided with the worst start in 91 years.

Grosso's problem was not reputation, but execution

As a player, he was a key left-sided contributor for Italy's 2006 World Cup triumph, but he did not arrive at Fiorentina with a top-class managerial record.

He signed in June through 2028, hoping to use the centenary squad to achieve results. But with 15 summer arrivals, overlapping roles, language issues, tactics and defensive duties all needing adjustment, he failed to turn the expensive pieces into a team.

At the press conference he said the team still did not know how to control matches. The statement was partly true and partly an excuse. New players need time, but conceding nine goals in three matches was not only about adaptation; defensive positioning, set-piece protection and transitions looked unprepared.

Against Torino, after scoring first, Fiorentina conceded a long-range equalizer and then a side-hook winner, while the in-game adjustments failed to control the rhythm.

A famous coach with a new team must set rules; a firefighter coach must first avoid losing. Grosso achieved neither. Big-spending teams fear a coach without a complete system or dressing-room authority, and trust naturally collapsed after three defeats.

Hiring Vanoli is damage control, not magic

On September 7, Fiorentina officially dismissed Grosso, and on September 8 announced Paolo Vanoli's return on a contract until 2028. Vanoli helped Fiorentina avoid relegation last season, knows the senior players and understands Serie A battles, making him a choice to first stabilize the dressing room and defense.

As a player he was a left-back, and as a coach he is pragmatic rather than seeking all-out attack immediately.

For the current Fiorentina, the urgent need is not another tactical mastermind but stopping the goals conceded: fix the back four, simplify the link between Pellegrino and midfield, and manage the minutes of young arrivals like Mastantuono. That is more useful than designing complicated possession football.

A rescue mission is not about instantly turning three defeats into three wins, but making the team look like a team first. If Vanoli can reduce goals conceded per game from three to around one, Fiorentina can discuss a recovery after the international break.

Round four against Venezia: comeback or continued humiliation?

Fiorentina's fourth match is away against Venezia. Venezia also had zero points after three rounds, but Fiorentina are away and have just changed coaches, making the debut uncertain.

If Vanoli starts cautiously, uses De Gea in goal, reduces defensive pushing, protects midfield interceptions and creates chances for Pellegrino, one point would be acceptable and a win would be a small rebound. If many new players start together and high pressing continues, the current defensive chemistry could allow Venezia to punish them on counters.

Against another team with zero points away from home, the battle is about who makes fewer mistakes first. Fiorentina have high squad value and expensive signings, but value does not automatically equal defensive order; reducing errors in the first match after a coaching change matters more than simply counting shots.

Where could the season end?

It is too early to make an aggressive final-table prediction. Three defeats, a minus-eight goal difference and a rebuilt defense mean that even with Vanoli returning, the early hole is too large to immediately reach European places.

If they return to an average of 1.5 to 2 points per game within 10 matches after the coaching change, they could fight for mid-table, around ninth to 13th. If defensive leaks continue and new players keep acting separately, survival is not guaranteed.

The squad foundation is not poor. Pellegrino can finish, Beto can lead the attack, and if Atta and other midfielders distribute responsibilities well, scoring should not be a concern. The key is whether Vanoli dares to sacrifice some possession and compact the shape. Mid-table Serie A teams fear trying to look good while also avoiding defeat; Fiorentina should currently choose the latter.

If a centenary spending spree only produces a mid-table finish, it is acceptable but not successful. If the coaching change gradually brings them into the top eight and a deep cup run follows, the €150 million will not be wasted. If they remain near the bottom, the management will be criticized despite having money.

In my view, Fiorentina's root problem is not a lack of spending

Many teams rise after spending heavily, but Fiorentina's situation offers a different lesson: when replacing half a squad in the summer, a coach needs a clear tactical template and phased plan. Grosso wanted to use all the new players but failed to establish a stable defensive framework, and three matches ended his experiment.

Next they should stop chasing star-name hype and make three things practical. First, fix the center-back partnership and goalkeeper communication line, reducing unnecessary high pressing. Second, give Pellegrino direct service instead of making him drop deep as a creator. Third, control young foreign players' minutes, allowing players like Mastantuono to adapt to Serie A physicality as substitutes first.

Fiorentina do not lack talent; they have too much talent and too few connections.

If Vanoli connects the pieces, Fiorentina can take points against Venezia in round four and climb slowly over the next ten matches. If not, high market value will still produce a sequel of three defeats. Centenary celebrations can be romantic, but league points are realistic. Fans want winning sounds back at the Franchi, not only memories of Batistuta's image.