Sassuolo have officially sacked coach Alessio Dionisi and temporarily given the reins to youth team boss Emiliano Bigica.
The decision had been in the air since Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat to Empoli, which left them hovering just above the relegation zone.
In the last 13 games between Serie A and the Coppa Italia, Sassuolo picked up just one win and two draws.
There are several candidates to take over for the rest of the season, but it is proving difficult for the club to make a choice, especially as they do not want to be locked down to a contract beyond June 30.
So while the job temporarily goes to Bigica, it is entirely possible he could retain the role for the rest of the campaign.
Dionisi had taken over at Sassuolo in the summer of 2021, as his previous clubs included Empoli and Venezia.
He took them to 11th place in his first season, 13th in the second, but this time around is at risk of relegation.
Bigica is a 50-year-old former defensive midfielder who played for Fiorentina, Napoli, Bari and Salernitana, retiring in 2007.
His coaching career started at Empoli in 2014, then took charge of the Italy Under-17 side for the 2016-17 campaign, was at Fiorentina until switching to Sassuolo in 2020.
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