Vanoli says Fiorentina remain fragile after 4-0 defeat to Roma
Quick summary
Paolo Vanoli admitted Fiorentina are still mentally fragile after a 4-0 Serie A loss to Roma, despite stressing how far the team has come since he arrived at the bottom of the table. He also said Fiorentina are close to securing safety and that his future will be discussed with the club afterward.
Full article
Attributed to original sourcePaolo Vanoli admits Fiorentina still look ‘fragile’ after a 4-0 defeat to Roma , but mustn’t forget how far they’ve come. ‘It really was a catastrophe when I arrived.’
Read Football Italia Ad-Free and get access to Exclusive News and Content – Free Trial – Click Here It is entirely possible that Fiorentina started the match breathing a sigh of relief, because just minutes before taking to the field, they heard that Cremonese had lost 2-1 at home to Lazio .
That almost guarantees that the Tuscans are safe from the threat of relegation, a remarkable achievement considering they were rock bottom when Vanoli took the job.
Vanoli sees same Fiorentina issues ROME, ITALY – MAY 04: Jack Harrison of ACF Fiorentina and Wesley of AS Roma battle for possession of the ball during the Serie A match between AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on May 04, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) “Knowing the other result should not be an excuse,” Vanoli told Sky Sport Italia.
“The fact is, we switched off completely after their first goal, also thanks to a great performance from Roma, so we must congratulate them this evening.”
The Viola looked shell-shocked in the opening minutes at the Stadio Olimpico, going 2-0 down within 17 minutes with a Gianluca Mancini free header and Wesley sweeping in, then Mario Hermoso’s tap-in and another header by Niccolò Pisilli completed the 4-0 rout.
ROME, ITALY – MAY 04: Wesley of AS Roma celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on May 04, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) “We’ve had a great run to get here, we’ve got to keep our heads up, because mistakes happen and at times this fragility comes back out, like it did against Udinese.”
When already 3-0 down, the Fiorentina coach took a risk and introduced youth team striker Riccardo Braschi, who within 60 seconds had thumped the base of the upright.
Considering Moise Kean and Roberto Piccoli are out injured, could the teenager get more opportunity for the rest of this season?
“I would’ve been happier for him if he had scored, but we had many young players with us this season and I’ve always tried to give them a chance. You need to let these lads grow, he is working hard in training and showed some of what he can do tonight.”
Braschi replaced Albert Gudmundsson at half-time, who continues to look like a shadow of the player who was signed from Genoa.
ROME, ITALY – MAY 04: Albert Gudmundsson of ACF Fiorentina passes the ball while under pressure from Bryan Cristante of AS Roma during the Serie A match between AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on May 04, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) “It is not all his fault, because he’s been moved around in a few different positions lately. If he was supporting a centre-forward, it would go better for him, but we were in an emergency situation and he has been helping out,” insisted Vanoli.
“I think he played well against Sassuolo and if he had scored, people might’ve evaluated his performance differently.”
Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici said before kick-off that he would sit down with Vanoli to discuss the future after safety had been secured, as it remains unlikely that he will stay on as coach.
“We’ll discuss it once we are guaranteed safety. I said when I arrived that avoiding relegation was going to be our Scudetto, we are nearly there and just need that final push to close the situation completely.
“We must be focused exclusively on the present and the remaining games,” added Vanoli.
If he was replaced after climbing the table in difficult circumstances, would he consider it an injustice?
“Absolutely not! A club has to make its evaluations, and when I arrived everyone was frightened by the prospect of relegation, it really was a catastrophe. We had four points and nobody had managed to avoid the drop with zero victories in the first 11 rounds.
“The job is not done, then the club and I too will evaluate for the future. As I’ve always said, I would be happy to continue the process,” concluded the coach.
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What happened
Fiorentina were thrashed 4-0 by Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, with Vanoli saying his side switched off after conceding the first goal. The coach described the club as being in a catastrophic state when he took over, but emphasized that survival is now close after a strong recovery run. Vanoli also pointed to recurring fragility in the squad and acknowledged injuries to Moise Kean and Roberto Piccoli, which have forced tactical compromises. He praised youngster Riccardo Braschi's brief cameo and said his own future will be evaluated with the club once safety is mathematically secured.
Chance analysis
This matters because Vanoli's comments reinforce that Fiorentina's underlying stability remains questionable despite improved results. For football evaluation, the combination of defensive collapse, squad injuries, and tactical reshuffling suggests elevated volatility around Fiorentina's short-term performances. Roma's emphatic win also strengthens the view that Fiorentina can still be exposed badly against stronger opposition.
The likely effect is a negative short-term signal on Fiorentina's reliability, especially against stronger Serie A opponents.
Treat Fiorentina's recent improvement with caution because the coach himself highlighted recurring fragility, injuries, and role disruption after a heavy defeat.