‘We need real men, they don’t work for each other’ after 3-1 defeat

FLORENCE, ITALY – NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Paolo Vanoli manager of ACF Fiorentina reacts during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Juventus FC at Artemio Franchi on November 22, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Paolo Vanoli went on a furious rant and revealed the Fiorentina penalty row was worse than previous thought. ‘We must apologise to our fans. We need real men at this moment, they don’t work for their teammates.’

The Viola remain rooted to the bottom of the table and without a single Serie A victory this season, a situation from which no team has managed to avoid relegation before.

They had taken the lead at the Mapei Stadium with a Rolando Mandragora penalty, only to crumble to a 3-1 loss against Sassuolo.

Vanoli puts blame on Fiorentina players

“We must apologise to our fans,” said Vanoli in his fiery press conference, which was after director of sport Roberto Goretti had spoken to the media.

“In these situations, we need real men at this moment, not just players. This game was like an emblem of our problems. No more alibis, we need courage.”

DAZN Italia’s touchline reporter noted that the coach was stunned by how much ‘fear’ his players had, repeatedly pumping predictable balls into the box.

“What kind of fear can you have when leading 1-0? The fear should vanish at that point,” explained Vanoli.

“It’s not about the system, it’s about each player working for his teammate, and I frankly have not seen that here since I arrived.”

An example of the problems within the group was evident when Fiorentina were awarded a penalty, as Moise Kean and Mandragora were discussing who would take it, before captain Luca Ranieri stepped in to lead the striker away.

Vanoli reveals the situation was even worse than previously thought.

“Albert Gudmundsson is the penalty taker, but he didn’t want to step up. Mandragora was second in the list, Kean is a striker who at the moment isn’t scoring goals, so he wanted to take it.

“Enough, we have to play for each other out there, understand that every ball can be decisive, either in attack or defence. I have still not found the key to get into the heads of these guys.”

Considering the fact Fiorentina have only six points from the opening 14 rounds, there isn’t much time to turn this situation around.

“It’s not Paolo Vanoli who has to make the change, but the players, and the men in this squad,” continued the coach.

“I believe there are real men in this team, they have to become real men. There are moments that help you to grow, and we need to do it fast.

“My focus now is finding solutions, finding those players who can fight for this club. We cannot concede such absurd goals.”