Fiorentina terminate contract of manager Palladino weeks after extending his deal

Raffaele Palladino has left his role as Fiorentina manager after the Serie A club said on Friday that they had terminated his contract by mutual consent, just three weeks after he had signed an extension.

"Fiorentina can confirm that Raffaele Palladino's contract, as well as those of his backroom team, has today been terminated by mutual consent," the club said in a statement.

Former Monza coach Palladino was appointed last June on a two-year deal with an option of an extra year. Fiorentina announced the extension until 2027 on 7 May, the eve of the club's Conference League semi-final second leg with Real Betis.

Fiorentina were knocked out of the competition by the Spanish club, having reached the last two Conference League finals, and then lost to Venezia in their next league game to leave them ninth in the Serie A standings.

Two wins in their final two matches earned Fiorentina a sixth-place finish, qualifying for the Conference League, but despite leading Fiorentina to their best league position since 2016, Palladino's style has failed to win over the fans.

Without a trophy since 2001 and after losing three finals in the previous two campaigns, Fiorentina supporters are losing patience with owner Rocco Commisso who bought the club in 2019.