Reports Barone wanted ex-Lazio coach as Italiano replacement for Fiorentina

According to reports on Wednesday, the late Fiorentina director Joe Barone had former Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri at the top of his list of potential replacements for current coach Vincenzo Italiano.

The former Fiorentina General Manager passed away at the age of 57 in March following a cardiac arrest a few days earlier.

Before Barone’s passing, one of his most pressing priorities was to identify a replacement for Italiano, who has recently announced his intentions to leave La Viola at the end of the 2023-24 season.

According to reports from SportMediaset and TMW, Barone thought that Sarri would have been an ideal fit in Florence, although Fiorentina are now reportedly moving further away from the former Lazio, Juventus, Chelsea and Napoli coach as an option this summer.

Other options on Fiorentina’s list also include Monza’s Raffaele Palladino, Alberto Gilardino of Genoa, and Alberto Aquilaini from Serie B side Pisa. The latter is understood to be the current favourite of sporting director Daniele Prade.