Serie B side Cremonese fires coach despite beating top-division Parma in Italian Cup

MILAN (AP) — A victory for Serie B club Cremonese at Serie A side Parma wasn’t enough to save Marco Giampaolo’s job.

The coach was fired immediately after guiding Cremonese to a 2-0 win in the second round of the Italian Cup on Tuesday.

The moves comes after Cremonese lost its opening two matches in the second division without scoring a goal, and conceding four. But it had also won its Italian Cup opener, beating Sampdoria 2-0 in the first round.

Giampaolo was hired in March but couldn’t prevent Cremonese from being relegated from Serie A last season as the Lombardy team finished third from bottom.

Former Leicester and England striker Jamie Vardy left Cremonese in June after one season.

Serie B side Cremonese fires coach despite beating top-division Parma in Italian Cup | iNFOnews.ca
Parma’s Matija Frigan, left, plays the ball as Cremonese’s Fellipe Jack defends during an Italian Cup soccer match between Parma and Cremonese, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Parma, Italy. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Cremonese said in a statement that it thanked Giampaolo and his staff for their “professionalism, effort and dedication since their arrival in Cremona.” A new coach was not immediately named.

Parma coach Carlos Cuesta could also be at risk, with his team having also lost its opening two matches in Serie A.

Serie B side Cremonese fires coach despite beating top-division Parma in Italian Cup | iNFOnews.ca
Parma’s El Bilal Toure controls the ball in front of Cremonese’s Tommaso Berti during an Italian Cup soccer match between Parma and Cremonese, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Parma, Italy. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

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