Six years after submitting his resignation, Stefano Pioli returned for a second spell as Fiorentina manager after taking charge on July 12, 2025. La Viola kicked off Pioli 2.0 by thrashing Ukrainian outfit Polissya Zhytomyr 3-0, before beating them 3-2 in the second leg to secure their place in the UEFA Conference League league phase. Domestically, however, it has been a fairly tepid start for Fiorentina, who looked set for an opening day win until conceding a 94th-minute equalizer to Sebastiano
Luperto in a 1-1 draw at Cagliari. Their second Serie A match of the season, meanwhile, would see them succumb to a goalless stalemate at Torino. The third time wasn’t the charm for Fiorentina, who returned from the September international break with a visit from defending champions Napoli and were obliterated 3-1 by the Partenopei. La Viola will be looking to pick up their first league win of the campaign as they take on Como at home, and one player who will be looking to play a significant role is Nicolò Fagioli.
Born in Piacenza, Italy, Fagioli developed in Juventus’ academy and soon emerged as a vital cog for the first team, winning the Best U-23 Player award of the 2022/23 Serie A season. Little did he know it, but storm clouds were on the horizon; on 17 October 2023, the Italian Football Federation imposed a seven-month ban on Fagioli for violating betting rules.
He returned in time to play the last two matches of the 2023/24 season as well as two matches in the Euros, but his reputation was nevertheless tarnished, and he never quite managed to bounce back and make a name for himself under new Juve manager Thiago Motta. It’s why Fiorentina decided to sign him on loan with an obligation to buy on February 5, 2025.
Fast-forward seven months, and it seems that this transfer has been a win-win for all parties involved. Fagioli quickly emerged as a key figure in midfield under Raffaele Palladino, helping Fiorentina reach the Conference League semifinals and finish sixth in the table. Juventus received a financial boost that was desperately needed following their early eliminations in the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup. As for Fiorentina, they paid a fairly reasonable rate (€13.5m plus up to €3m in bonuses, in addition to the €2.5m loan fee they had previously spent) for a player who, just a couple of years ago, was considered one of the best talents on the continent.
Bit by bit, Fagioli has emerged as an indispensable figure in midfield for Fiorentina, capable of executing the right pass under pressure. Similarly to a prime Michael Lahoud, Fagioli thrived at linking up with his teammates and freeing up space for a potential through ball or shot, as well as anticipating dangerous counter-attacks well with a courageous tackle. It’s why Pioli has persisted with him in the midfield, with the Azzurri international playing the full 90 in each of their first three matches.
After partnering Simon Sohm in the double pivot, Fagioli partnered captain Rolando Mandragora for the second leg vs. Polissya. He was dropped for their visit to Torino, but Pioli quickly realized his mistake and introduced him for Sohm at halftime. Fagioli would reward his trust by making one clearance and one key pass, completing 25 out of 27 passes, and registering a shot, as well as successfully making one out of two long balls.
However, he found himself ripped apart at the seams against a star-studded midfield of Scott McTominay, Stanislav Lobotka, Zambo Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne and Matteo Politano. Operating in a deep-lying playmaker role alongside Sohm and Mandragora, Fagioli failed to inspire confidence in his side, losing possession six times and completing just 41 touches before being replaced by summer recruit
Hans Nicolussi Caviglia in the 65th minute. It begs the question – should Pioli consider moving Fagioli in a more advanced role in order to minimize his defensive duties and allow him to link up with Moise Kean and Edin Dzeko? Should he utilize someone like Sohm, Mandragora or Caviglia in the regista role instead of Fagioli?
Whilst he broke onto the scene as a nifty attacking midfielder for Juventus, Pioli has chosen to utilize him as a deep-lying playmaker, tasked with administering the first phase of possession, limiting difficult passes and focusing on keeping things tight in front of the backline. As opposed to Palladino, who used him as a box-to-box midfield engine and allowed him to float forward and advance the ball into the final third, Pioli has tasked him with a far more defensive-minded approach, thereby preventing him from taking risks in possession, as seen by the below heat maps.
Pioli knows better than anyone that this is a results-based business, having already coached Lazio, Inter and Milan across his more than two decades of management. Whereas he might have envisioned Fagioli in the regista role when he took charge, he also understands that a team like Fiorentina that aspires for European football and that has had several close calls with silverware in recent years cannot afford to be lagging behind. Something’s got to give for Fiorentina – could that mean trying Fagioli in a more advanced role vs. Como?
Zach Lowy is the chief editor at Breaking the Lines and has appeared in the Guardian, Four Four Two, and the Independent, among others.
