Fiorentina bring back Vanoli amid crisis: A familiar face or a blindfold?

Three matches, one goal scored, nine conceded. For a club that reached the Conference League quarter-finals last season, sitting at the bottom of Serie A after three matchdays is not just a stumble — it is a structural collapse. Fiorentina have sacked Fabio Grosso and brought Paolo Vanoli back to the dugout, the same coach who pulled the team out of a relegation battle last year, guiding them to 15th place and a memorable European run. In Italian football, this is a familiar pattern: when the storm hits, directors run toward a familiar face instead of seeking a new direction. The context is easy to read. Grosso was appointed with the expectation of building a more controlled style, but three matches turned everything to ashes: one goal scored, nine conceded, and a spot at the very bottom of the 2026/25 Serie A standings. The sacking came swiftly, as everyone expected. The backlash in the media was growing after each defeat, and the dressing room looked unstable. In came Vanoli — a coach who knows the club, the players and the president's expectations. Last season, Vanoli inherited a team that had gone ten league games without a win. Many thought they would go down. Instead, he stabilized their shape, made them compact out of possession, and guided them to a Conference League quarter-final, where they were eliminated by Crystal Palace. That achievement defines his legacy at the club and explains why the management turned to him again. His tactical identity is not revolutionary. It is built on defensive organization, narrow spacing between the lines and controlled transitions. It is the opposite of the high-risk style Grosso attempted in the first three matches. But there is a hidden danger. When a familiar coach returns, there is no shock effect. The players already know his drills, his demands, his preferences. There is no curiosity to impress a new boss, only the memory of an old routine. The "new manager bounce" often comes from the psychological impact of a fresh voice. Vanoli's voice is not fresh — it is an echo. That familiarity may stabilize the dressing room, but it may also fail to produce the short-term adrenaline spike Fiorentina desperately need. The first test comes on Friday against Venezia. The promoted side are also winless after three games, but they have nothing to lose they play a lively, young brand of football. For Fiorentina, this is more than a match — it is an early referendum on Vanoli's return. A clean sheet and three points would restart the narrative. Another collapse would turn a bad crisis into a catastrophic one. What matters over the next three to five matches is results, not beautiful football. Vanoli knows how to survive, but survival is not the same as progress. If the club settle for safety again, they may remain stuck in mid-table mediocrity. If Vanoli can add some discipline without crushing the team's creative instincts, Fiorentina might find something more valuable than a quick fix. Every formation is a lie — until the ball starts rolling. On Friday, Vanoli's Fiorentina will begin to tell the truth.