Vanoli identifies Fiorentina’s response to setbacks as the deeper problem

Fiorentina’s 3-1 defeat to Como leaves them 19th in Serie A with four points from seven games, and Paolo Vanoli says the biggest concern is how quickly the team loses its grip when a match turns against them. The loss was their fifth in seven league matches: one win, one draw and five defeats.

Vanoli said Fiorentina had played openly against a strong Como side and created two or three chances before the visitors’ opening goal. That goal came after a disputed contact between Luis Milla and Pedro Gonçalves, which went unpunished. “They all saw it,” Vanoli said after the match, adding that VAR was there for such moments. He said the incident unsettled his players and changed the game, but stressed that it could not become an excuse.

The coach also said he had been told that the software was not working during an incident around the 2-2 score. His frustration, though, extended beyond the officiating. Fiorentina were conceding too easily even when set defensively, he said, and needed to show more aggression and make better decisions in key moments. He pointed to the situation that led to Nico Paz’s goal as one in which his players had been positioned well but needed to be more alert.

That reaction problem has become a pattern for Vanoli. He cited the goal conceded against Napoli and Fiorentina’s poor opening 20 to 25 minutes against Genoa as examples of the team failing to recognise when a game is shifting. Since taking charge, he has tried to make the players understand what those moments demand. His assessment is clear: a disputed decision may knock Fiorentina off balance, but the team cannot afford to let one incident dictate the rest of a match.

Vanoli described the squad as young and said it wanted to keep fighting. He also noted that Gonçalves was beginning to get more minutes, while acknowledging that Fiorentina had started behind in matches since his arrival. Those details offer little comfort while the club remain 19th and their errors continue to turn promising passages into defeats.

The next test comes away to Inter on Sunday 25 October. For Fiorentina, the immediate task is not just to start well, but to stay composed and respond when the first setback arrives.