Udinese replaces Delneri with Oddo

Udinese fired coach Luigi Delneri on Tuesday and immediately replaced him with Massimo Oddo.

The 41-year-old Oddo — a former Napoli, Lazio, AC Milan and Bayern Munich player — has less than two years of coaching experience. He led Pescara to promotion to Serie A in 2016, but was fired the following February.

"Massimo Oddo is an up-and-coming coach and we believe he'll do very well here at Udinese," club sporting director Manuel Gerolin said.

Udinese has only 12 points from 12 matches this season and lost at home to Cagliari on Sunday, leaving it three points above the relegation zone in Serie A.

"The club hasn't given me any specific targets other than to work hard on implementing my soccer philosophy," said Oddo, who won the World Cup with Italy as a player. "What you see on the field will be the result of the ideas I have in my head."

Oddo's first match in charge will be at home against Serie A leader Napoli on Sunday.

Delneri's job had already been in danger after Udinese's 2-6 loss to Juventus last month, but two consecutive wins had earned the 67-year-old coach some respite.

Former Juventus and AS Roma coach Delneri had been in charge for just over a year and steered Udine-based club to 13th place last season.

It is the fourth managerial change in Serie A this season after Cagliari, Benevento and Genoa.

AFP