Official: Sassuolo have fired Aquilani after five straight defeats

REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY - OCTOBER 27: Head Coach Alberto Aquilani of US Sassuolo looks on during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and SS Lazio at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on October 27, 2026 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)

Sassuolo have officially announced the dismissal of coach Alberto Aquilani after five consecutive Serie A defeats, with Roberto D’Aversa the favourite to take over.

The decision had been in the air following the 3-0 loss to his old club Roma, a result that took his total record on the bench this season to four wins, two draws and seven defeats between Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

Aquilani era at Sassuolo is over

This was his first top flight experience as a coach, following roles in Serie B with Pisa and Catanzaro, while before that he was a coach at the Fiorentina youth academy.

Called in to replace Fabio Grosso over the summer, Aquilani had signed a contract to June 2028 and started quite well, the highlight being the 3-2 win over Juventus on September 13.

That was also the last moment of joy, followed by a 1-1 draw against Milan and six defeats.

It is widely reported that Roberto D’Aversa is the favourite to take over, but so far Sassuolo have only announced that Aquilani has been removed from his post.