Serie A bottom side Verona sack coach Zanetti following eight-game winless run

Serie A - Napoli v Hellas Verona - Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy - Jan 7, 2026 Hellas Verona head coach Paolo Zanetti REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

Serie A bottom side Hellas Verona have sacked coach Paolo Zanetti after a year and a half in the position amid an eight-match winless run, the club said on Monday.

Verona, who lost 4-0 at Cagliari on Saturday, have won only two games in the league as they sit four points below the safety zone.

"Hellas Verona FC announces that Paolo Zanetti has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the first team," the club said in a statement, adding that U-19 coach Paolo Sammarco would lead the first team's training session on Monday.

Zanetti led Verona to a 14th-place finish in the Serie A last season, avoiding relegation by six points. This season, they have fared worse, allowing a league-highest 41 goals in 23 matches so far.

Verona host 19th-placed Pisa, with both teams on 14 points, in their next game on Friday.