Serie A strugglers Parma hire rookie coach Chivu after sacking Pecchia

Parma hired Cristian Chivu on Tuesday after sacking Fabio Pecchia for a seven-match winless run which has plunged the team into the Serie A relegation zone.

Former Romania defender Chivu will take on his first senior coaching role after reportedly agreeing to a contract with Parma until the end of next season.

Chivu, who as a player won three Serie A titles and the 2010 Champions League with Inter Milan, had been out of work since leaving Inter's youth set-up last summer.

Pecchia was dismissed late on Monday following Parma's 1-0 home defeat by Roma at the weekend, their fourth loss in a row which left the promoted team just inside the relegation zone in 18th place, a point behind Empoli ahead of Saturday's derby with Bologna.

If the two teams in 17th and 18th finish the season on the same points they will face each other in a two-legged play-off to decide who is relegated to Serie B.

Should more than one side finish level on points with the one in 18th then the two with the worst records between those teams this season go into the play-off.

Pecchia had been in charge since June 2022 and led Parma back into the top flight by winning the Serie B title last season.

The 51-year-old, a former midfielder with Napoli, Juventus and Bologna, is the eighth coach in Serie A to lose his job this season.