Venezia have fired coach Paolo Zanetti and elevated Andrea Soncin from their Primavera team. The Lagunari are coming off eight straight defeats. They have won just once in the last 20 rounds, collecting four draws. Still, they remain within striking distance in the relegation struggle, as they are six points below the 17th-placed Cagliari.
The Arancioneroverdi will visit Juventus later this week and round out the season facing Salernitana in a make-up fixture, Bologna, Roma, and Cagliari. Venezia president Duncan Niederauer commented on their decision to sack Zanetti: “We all share the credit for the success of the previous campaign, but we also need to take responsibility for the failures of the current one. We are trying to do our best to fight until the end, and we are doing whatever is necessary to achieve this miracle. Our fans deserve nothing short of that.”
“Therefore, we asked Zanetti and his staff to step down for the remaining fixtures. We shared good and bad moments together, and we built a nice relationship with him. Coaching changes are normal in football.”
“Soncin will lead the team now, and he knows the club and players very well. He has done an outstanding job at the youth level so far. He is aware that this is a temporary solution and what we are attempting. We have nothing to lose, and we will learn a lot about our squad from how it will perform from here on out. It is now up to the players to prove that they are ready to do their part. They are responsible for our woes as well. We do not want any excuse or alibi.”