Udinese sack Kosta Runjaic, appoint Paolo Zanetti as head coach

Serie A side Udinese parted company with head coach Kosta Runjaic on the evening of Monday, 2 November 2026, after a long run of poor results. Within hours the club named his successor: Paolo Zanetti, the 43-year-old Italian who has previously coached Hellas Verona, Empoli and Venezia. According to the club statement reported by Football Italia, Zanetti's contract runs until 30 June 2027, the end of the current season.

The final straw was a 5-2 home defeat to Roma in Udine on 31 October 2026. Mundo Deportivo reports that Runjaic, in charge since 2024, could not survive an eight-game winless streak in the league. German outlet kicker noted that Italian media had been expecting the split for days.

Why did Udinese sack Kosta Runjaic?

Udinese managed just one win in the first 10 rounds of the Serie A season and have dropped to 19th, inside the relegation zone. ScoreLab data shows that their only league victory came on 29 August 2026, a 3-2 win away at Monza. In the eight league games that followed they lost seven and drew one, a goalless draw at Parma on 28 October 2026, with defeats to Lazio, Inter, Cagliari, Torino, Lecce, Milan and Roma. That is a steep decline for a side that finished the 2025/26 season 10th with 50 points.

Who is Paolo Zanetti?

Paolo Zanetti is a 43-year-old Italian coach whose standout achievement came in 2020/21, when he won promotion with Venezia and ended the club's 19-year absence from Serie A. After one top-flight season in Venice he moved on to Empoli and then Hellas Verona, where, according to the club statement, he guided the side to a 14th-place finish in 2024/25. Football Italia reports he had been without a job since Verona dismissed him in February.

Udinese said Zanetti would lead his first training session on the afternoon of Tuesday, 3 November, and would be presented to the media on Wednesday, 4 November, at 15:00. L'Équipe and Mundo Deportivo both describe the deal as running to the end of the season, which matches the 30 June 2027 date given by the club.

When is Zanetti's first game in charge?

Paolo Zanetti's first Udinese match is away at Venezia, his former club, on Friday, 6 November 2026. According to ScoreLab data, Venezia are bottom of Serie A with 3 points from 10 games, which makes it a clash between two sides in the relegation zone. The teams met in Udine on 2 September 2026, when Udinese won 2-1. After the international break, Udinese travel to Bologna on 22 November and then host Fiorentina on 29 November.

How did Kosta Runjaic's time at Udinese go?

German coach Kosta Runjaic joined Udinese in 2024 and, according to L'Équipe, spent a little over two seasons in charge. Under him, Udinese finished 2025/26 comfortably in mid-table, 10th with 50 points. In 2026/27, however, the team failed to win again after taking 4 points from the opening two rounds, and the club acted before round 11.