Cagliari have named Gianluca Festa as their new head coach until the end of the season, the Italian club announced on Wednesday.
Festa takes the baton from Zdenek Zeman, who stepped down from the position on Tuesday on the back of the side’s poor run, with the Serie A side down in 19th position on the standings nine point shy of relegation with seven games left in the season.
The club suffered its seventh defeat in eight league matches on Sunday, going down 3-0 at home to Napoli.
A statement from Cagliari read: “Gianluca Festa has been appointed as the coach of the first team until the end of the season.”
Former Middlesbrough and Cagliari player Festa becomes the latter’s third head coach of the campaign. Zeman started the season in charge of Cagliari but got the boots in the winter break and replaced by Gianfranco Zola, who himself only lasted three months before he was sacked in March, paving way for former’s return.
Cagliari will be Festa’s first experience as a first-team coach in the Serie A, following a brief spell as Giorgio Melis’ assistant at the same club in 2010. The 46-year-old has been out of management since his dismissal at third-tier side Lumezzane in March 2013.
Cagliari visit Fiorentina on Sunday searching for their first win since a 2-1 success over Sassuolo on 24 January.
