Venezia appoint Davide Nicola after Giovanni Stroppa sacking

Venezia have appointed Davide Nicola as their new head coach, replacing Giovanni Stroppa after a difficult start to their Serie A campaign.

The Italian club confirmed that Nicola has signed a two-season contract.

Stroppa was dismissed earlier after a run of poor results, with Venezia losing all six of their league matches under his management. He had guided the club to promotion to Serie A recently.

Venezia are currently the only team in the division without a point. They also have Serie A’s worst defensive record, having conceded 16 goals, while only one side has scored fewer than their total of five.

The club’s appointment of Nicola follows earlier reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport that Venezia were negotiating with both Nicola and Paolo Zanetti over who would succeed Stroppa.

Venezia’s most recent victory came against Atalanta in the sixth round of Serie A last season, when they lost 3-1.