Salernitana rehires Davide Nicola 2 days after firing coach

Updated Jan. 18, 2023 3:35 p.m. ET

SALERNO, Italy (AP) — Salernitana rehired coach Davide Nicola on Wednesday, 48 hours after he was fired by the Serie A club.

Nicola was dismissed by Salernitana on Monday, a day after the team lost 8-2 at Atalanta.

But the 49-year-old coach said he convinced club president Danilo Iervolino to rehire him during a phone call.

The loss at Atalanta was Salernitana’s fourth in its last five matches — a run that has sent the team plummeting down the Serie A table to 16th place, nine points above the relegation zone.

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Salernitana next faces runaway Serie A leader Napoli on Saturday.

Nicola was appointed Salernitana coach last February when the team was trying to stave off relegation from Serie A, and he helped to turn things around. Back in the top flight after an absence of more than 20 years, Salernitana had spent nearly the entire campaign at the bottom of the table. But under Nicola, Salernitana recorded 18 points in the remaining 15 matches to stay up and he was rewarded with a new two-year contract in June.

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