Venezia have placed their survival fight in the hands of Davide Nicola, appointing the Piedmont-born coach on a two-year contract running until the end of the 2027-28 season.
The agreement with Nicola was reached soon after Stroppa’s dismissal, although the club had to wait for the coach to settle his remaining contractual position with Cremonese before making the appointment official. He now arrives with the league campaign already demanding immediate answers, beginning with a difficult home meeting against Max Allegri’s Napoli on Saturday at 15:00.
Nicola will take his first training session on Friday, leaving him just 48 hours to work with the squad before Napoli arrive in Venice. It is a short runway, but Venezia have chosen a coach whose first task is clear: guide the club towards Serie A safety.
A project beyond the immediate emergency
The new coach said Venezia’s wider plans were central to his decision, along with the presence of director Antonelli, whom he already knew. “I chose Venezia because I can see a long-term vision here, a real desire to build and important prospects for growth,” Nicola said.
“The presence of director Antonelli was decisive as well. I knew him already and he made me feel genuinely wanted.”
Nicola has watched Venezia’s opening matches and said he detected encouraging connections within the group. “I saw positive chemistry among the players,” he added. “I have enormous enthusiasm and hunger. I cannot wait to be back on the training ground and to achieve survival.”
For Nicola, the job is not framed solely by the points target. He spoke of the responsibility of creating moments that remain with a club and its supporters. “What matters most to me is being able to give people emotions and write pages of history that last,” he said. “That has to be our aim, and we must do it together with our fans.”
His staff will include technical assistant Manuele Cacicia, fitness coach Gabriele Stoppino and goalkeeper coach Lorenzo Squizzi. Their first chapter begins quickly, with Napoli providing the first test of Venezia’s new direction.
