• Fabio Grosso and Sassuolo agree to terminate his contract by mutual consent
• The 2006 World Cup winner is now free to take charge at Fiorentina
• Sporting director Fabio Paratici will reunite with the coach he gave his first job
• Appointment marks a fresh start after a disappointing season for the Florence club

Fabio Grosso has officially left Sassuolo. Both the club and the coach agreed to end his contract early. This move clears the way for the Italian to become the new manager at Fiorentina.

Sassuolo released a short statement confirming the departure. They thanked Grosso and his backroom staff for their service over two seasons. The coach helped the team win promotion to Serie A. He also guided them to an eleventh-place finish in the top division this term.

The former defender told Sassuolo weeks ago that he wanted to leave. Now, both sides have formally ended their working relationship.

Fiorentina have waited for this release to confirm the appointment. Grosso is now free from any contract duties. Sporting director Fabio Paratici can complete the deal without waiting any longer.

This move brings Grosso back together with Paratici. The sporting director gave the coach his first job in management at the Juventus youth academy years ago.

The appointment starts a new chapter for Fiorentina at the Stadio Franchi. The club had a very disappointing season under previous managers Stefano Pioli and Paolo Vanoli.

• Nikola Stulic nets 96th-minute winner to complete remarkable turnaround
• Walid Cheddira scores twice for the visitors in crucial survival battle
• Andrea Pinamonti had put Sassuolo 2-1 ahead with eight minutes remaining
• Result moves Lecce one point clear of the drop zone with one round left
• Both teams finished with ten men after late dismissals

Lecce produced a stunning late comeback to defeat Sassuolo 3-2 in a thrilling Serie A clash on Sunday. The visitors snatched all three points deep into added time thanks to a dramatic strike from Nikola Stulic.

The match started at a frantic pace. Both teams created chances inside the first 90 seconds. Ismael Koné forced an early corner for the hosts, while Walid Cheddira went close at the other end.

The opening goal arrived after 14 minutes. Cheddira found the net following a defensive mix-up involving Ulisses Garcia. The Sassuolo player attempted to intercept Lassana Coulibaly but accidentally teed up the striker, who finished calmly from close range.

Sassuolo responded six minutes later. Domenico Berardi led a swift counter-attack and squared the ball for Armand Laurienté. The winger swept home from eight yards to level the scores.

The visitors restored their advantage in the 25th minute. Lameck Banda delivered an excellent cross from the left flank, and Cheddira twisted his body to head the ball into the far corner for his second goal of the afternoon.

The second half brought more drama. Sassuolo thought they had taken the lead when Kristian Thorstvedt scored, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. M’Bala Nzola also struck the woodwork for the hosts following good work from Berardi.

With just eight minutes remaining, Sassuolo finally grabbed the lead. Andrea Pinamonti produced a clever back-heel finish from six yards after a precise cutback from the byline.

However, the contest was not over. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, substitute Omri Gandelman knocked the ball down for Stulic. The midfielder turned his marker and fired past the goalkeeper to spark wild celebrations among the travelling supporters and staff.

• Lecce defeat Sassuolo 3-2 with a goal in the 96th minute
• The win keeps them one point above the relegation zone
• Coach Di Francesco compares the tension to a heart examination
• Next week’s match against Genoa will decide their fate
• Victory sends the relegation battle to the final day

Eusebio Di Francesco has joked that US Lecce’s dramatic 3-2 victory over US Sassuolo served as a “cardiac stress test” rather than a football match. The Italian coach made the remarks after his team scored a winner deep into stoppage time on Sunday.

The Salentini began the penultimate round of the Serie A season just one point clear of the bottom three. Their rivals Cremonese secured a 1-0 win away to Udinese earlier in the weekend. This result meant Lecce needed three points to stay outside the relegation places.

Walid Cheddira scored twice to give the hosts a 2-1 lead during the clash. However, Andrea Pinamonti equalised for Sassuolo with a clever back-heel flick. In the 96th minute, substitute Nikola Stulic fired home the decisive goal to spark wild celebrations.

“If I did not suffer a heart attack tonight…” Di Francesco told Sky Sport Italia. “This felt less like a match and more like a cardiac stress test. Clearly, I passed the examination.”

The intense finale caused friction on the touchline between Di Francesco and Sassuolo boss Fabio Grosso. When asked about the disagreement, the Lecce manager dismissed the tension. “Come on, let us not be silly,” he replied.

The result proves vital for the club’s survival hopes. Without Stulic’s late strike, Lecce would enter the final weekend inside the drop zone. Instead, they control their own destiny ahead of next Sunday’s fixture.

Di Francesco praised his match-winners after the final whistle. “Cheddira always gives his heart and soul on the pitch. He has looked very sharp recently. I believed that both he and Stulic could help us at this crucial moment. I told my director this week that Stulic would take us to our objective.”

The coach admitted his side showed weakness at the back despite the result. “We created dangerous situations throughout the match, but we lacked quality with the final ball. I only know one path forward, which is to work hard in training. However, we did not defend well this evening. Sassuolo had many chances to score, so we lost our balance.”

Survival remains possible if Lecce defeat Genoa at the Stadio Via del Mare next week. Such a result would confirm their Serie A status for another season and send Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese down to the second tier.

“This team has worked the entire season with order and discipline. These are two great virtues,” Di Francesco concluded. “Other sides may possess more quality. Just look at Sassuolo, for example. However, we have done very well.”

• AC Milan lost 2-0 to US Sassuolo after Fikayo Tomori received a red card in the first half.
• Domenico Berardi and Armand Laurienté scored the goals for the home side at the Mapei Stadium.
• The defeat damages Milan’s hopes of securing a top-two finish and puts their Champions League spot under pressure.

AC Milan’s hopes of climbing the Serie A table suffered a major setback following a 2-0 loss to US Sassuolo. The Rossoneri played with ten men for more than an hour after defender Fikayo Tomori was sent off.

The visitors needed a victory to overtake Napoli in second position. However, their plans collapsed early at the Mapei Stadium.

Domenico Berardi gave the home side the lead after only five minutes. He collected the ball on the right wing and curled a precise shot into the far bottom corner. This marked his twelfth career goal against Milan.

Disaster struck for the away side when Tomori fouled Laurienté during a quick counter-attack. The referee showed the England international a second yellow card, leaving Milan with a huge challenge.

Even before the sending-off, Rafael Leão wasted a clear opportunity to equalise. The Portuguese forward ran clear of the defence but blasted his shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Sassuolo started the second half with immediate impact. Within ninety seconds of the restart, Laurienté doubled the lead. He played a one-two with Kristian Thorstvedt inside the penalty area and thumped the ball low into the net.

Milan struggled to create chances against the organised hosts. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan made several important saves to keep the score at two goals.

The result leaves Milan vulnerable in the race for Champions League qualification. Juventus can now move level on points with them if they secure victory against Verona. The Rossoneri have now failed to score in five of their last seven league matches.

• AC Milan crashed to a 2-0 defeat away at Sassuolo following goals from Domenico Berardi and Armand Lauriente.
• Fikayo Tomori received a red card in the 24th minute, leaving the Rossoneri to play with ten men for most of the match.
• Travelling supporters loudly booed the players after the final whistle, prompting captain Mike Maignan to abandon a gesture of appreciation toward the fans.

AC Milan endured a miserable Sunday away trip, suffering a 2-0 loss to Sassuolo in Serie A before facing the wrath of their own travelling supporters at the final whistle.

Domenico Berardi opened the scoring early for the hosts, before Armand Lauriente doubled the advantage against a Milan side reduced to ten men. Fikayo Tomori received his marching orders in the 24th minute following two bookable offences.

The Rossoneri are enduring a dreadful conclusion to the 2025-26 campaign, having secured merely four points from their previous five outings. During this poor sequence, they have suffered reverses against Udinese, Napoli and now Sassuolo.

Should Juventus defeat already-relegated Hellas Verona later this evening, Milan could slip to fourth position in the standings by Monday morning.

The travelling faithful made their anger impossible to ignore following the defeat. Rather than approaching the stand to acknowledge their supporters, the Milan squad remained in the centre circle, drawing loud jeers from the distant terraces.

According to Sky Sport Italia, captain Mike Maignan initially attempted to guide his teammates towards the supporters to offer applause. However, upon hearing the hostile reception, the goalkeeper reversed course toward the tunnel, intensifying the fans’ fury.

The San Siro club must now regroup ahead of next Sunday’s home fixture against Atalanta. Encounters with Genoa and Cagliari will follow as they attempt to salvage something from the closing stages of the 2025-26 season.

• Domenico Berardi returns to the Sassuolo attack after completing a two-match suspension.
• Luka Modric misses the rest of the season for AC Milan following surgery on a cheekbone injury.
• The match kicks off at 15:00 CET (14:00 BST) at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia.

AC Milan travel to Reggio Emilia for a Serie A Week 35 clash against Sassuolo. The fixture begins at 15:00 CET (14:00 BST) at the Mapei Stadium.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri has selected Rafael Leao and Christopher Nkunku to lead the Rossoneri attack. The pair will start up front in search of crucial goals.

The visitors face a significant blow in midfield. Luka Modric will not feature again this term. The Croatian star suffered a facial injury and underwent an operation earlier this week. Ardon Jashari replaces him in the starting eleven.

Christian Pulisic begins the afternoon on the substitute bench. The United States international has yet to score a goal during the 2026 campaign.

Sassuolo welcome back their influential winger Domenico Berardi. He has served his two-game ban and returns to the first team immediately. However, the Neroverdi remain without several players including Fali Candè, Edoardo Pieragnolo, Daniel Boloca and Darryl Bakola.

Sassuolo: Turati; Walukiewicz, Idzes, Muharemovic, Garcia; Thorstvedt, Matic, Koné; Berardi, Nzola, Laurienté

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Jashari, Rabiot, Estupinan; Leao, Nkunku

• AC Milan want to sign Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra and Sassuolo’s Canadian star Ismael Koné.
• Youssouf Fofana and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are among four players expected to leave the San Siro.
• Warren Bondo and Ismael Bennacer will return from loan spells but face immediate sale, while Yunus Musah may stay.

AC Milan are planning a major rebuild of their midfield this summer. The Serie A giants have set their sights on Valencia star Javi Guerra. They also want to sign Ismael Koné from Sassuolo.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that scouts have tracked Guerra throughout the current campaign. The Spanish youngster has impressed the Rossoneri hierarchy. Meanwhile, Koné has found the net six times in Italy’s top flight this term.

Sassuolo may agree to a swap arrangement. They could take Christian Comotto or Francesco Camarda as part of the deal. Both players would move to the Emilia-Romagna side.

The reshuffle will see several players exit. Youssouf Fofana and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are both likely to depart. They will join two other midfielders in leaving the club.

Three loanees will return to the squad. Warren Bondo and Ismael Bennacer are not part of future plans. The club will place them on the transfer market. Yunus Musah offers more flexibility. He could remain due to his ability to fill multiple roles.

Milan also await a decision from Luka Modrić. The veteran Croatian midfielder has yet to confirm his plans. The San Siro outfit hope he will extend his stay for another season.