Venezia have announced the appointment of Davide Nicola as their new coach, following the departure of Giovanni Stroppa. The Piedmontese, already known for his ability to manage teams in difficulty, will have to face the challenge of bringing the lagoon players back from the zero points zone, after six days of the championship, towards safety. The choice seems natural, considering his track record of success in critical situations.
Nicola began his career as head coach for ten seasons, appearing as a substitute on six occasions. His most significant experience is the salvation of Crotone in the 2016/17 season, when, entering the championship, the Calabrian club had only 14 points and was eight points from the safety zone. Nicola led the team to 20 points in the last nine matchdays, finishing with 34 and guaranteeing their stay in Serie A on the final matchday. Subsequently, in 2019/20, he intervened at Genoa, last with 11 points after 17 rounds, and took it to 39, obtaining another salvation. The following year, with Torino second to last, he achieved the permanence a day early.
The case most similar to the one awaiting him in Venice is Salernitana. Nicola arrived in February 2022 with the team in last place, with 13 points after 23 matchdays, eight points from the safety zone. With his guidance, Salernitana finished with 31 points, managing to defend the category by overcoming Cagliari. Two years later, he repeated the operation with Empoli, starting with 13 points after 20 days, penultimate place, and obtaining salvation with five points behind them. Empoli finished with 36 points, beating Roma on the final day thanks to Niang's goal in the 93rd minute.
With Nicola in command, Venezia will have the aim of transforming the current situation and avoiding relegation. His proven experience in survival contexts makes him the ideal choice to face the difficult mission of taking the team out of the relegation zone. The club, which has already demonstrated that it can count on a coach capable of handling high pressure, is now preparing to implement its strategy to save the season. The next step will be to see how Nicola will organize the team in the coming weeks, with the aim of obtaining positive results and securing their stay in Serie A.