The last bullet: Verona fires Paolo Zanetti

Hellas Verona has only 14 points after 23 games. Now the relegation-threatened Serie A club has seized what may be its last chance.

February 02, 2026

From: dl

The 4-0 defeat in Cagliari on Saturday was the final straw. Two days later, coach Paolo Zanetti was dismissed by Hellas Verona. The former FC Südtirol coach had been in charge of the Verona club since the summer of 2024, achieving an average of 0,84 points per game in 64 matches. Zanetti had previously been sacked by Empoli in Serie A.

Zanetti worked at FCS from 2017 to 2019. At his first coaching position in the professional sector, he did a good job according to many experts, but missed out on promotion to Serie B with the Red and Whites, which they then achieved three years later.

Hellas Verona is threatened with relegation to Serie B. © ANSA / Emanuele Pennacchio

Zanetti isn't the only coach to have been sacked in Serie A in recent days. Alberto Gilardino was also dismissed by newly promoted AC Pisa. Pisa and Verona are currently bottom of the table, with safety "only" four points away. A relegation of Hellas Verona would be particularly significant for FC Südtirol, as it would mean a potential Serie B clash. The former Italian champions last played in the second division seven years ago.

Udinese beats Roma

In Monday night's Serie A match, Udinese Calcio once again proved their giant-killing prowess. The team from Udine defeated AS Roma 1-0 at home. Dutchman Jurgen Ekkelenkamp scored the decisive goal after the break. This victory sees Juventus overtake the capital club in the league table. Juve now sits in fourth place, while Roma drops to fifth.

The Serie A table

	SP	G	U	V	TV	P
1. Inter	23	18	1	4	52:19	55
2.Milan	23	14	8	1	38:17	50
3. Naples	23	14	4	5	33:21	46
4. Juventus	23	13	6	4	39:18	45
5. Roma	23	14	1	8	27:14	43
6. As	23	11	8	4	37:16	41
7. Atalanta	23	9	9	5	30:20	36
8. Lazio	23	8	8	7	24:21	32
9.Udinese	23	9	5	9	26:34	32
10.Bologna	23	8	6	9	32:30	30
11. Sassuolo	23	8	5	10	27:29	29
12. Cagliari	23	7	7	9	28:31	28
13. Torino	23	7	5	11	22:40	26
14. Genoa	23	5	8	10	27:34	23
15. Cremonese	23	5	8	10	20:31	23
16. Parma	23	5	8	10	15:30	23
17. Lecce	23	4	6	13	13:30	18
18. Fiorentina	23	3	8	12	25:36	17
19. Step on	23	1	11	11	19:40	14
20. Hellas Verona	23	2	8	13	18:41	14