The club confirmed Aquilani’s departure in an official statement, announcing that he and his coaching staff had been relieved of their duties.
“U.S. Sassuolo Calcio announces that it has relieved coach Alberto Aquilani and his staff of their respective positions. The club thanks the coach and his collaborators for their commitment and the seriousness demonstrated in leading the Neroverdi and wishes them the best of luck for the future,” the statement read.
Aquilani’s departure follows five consecutive league defeats, with the final blow coming in a 3-0 loss against Roma. The 42-year-old had arrived during the summer after leaving Catanzaro, taking over from Fabio Grosso, who subsequently moved to Fiorentina.
His start had offered encouragement, with Sassuolo collecting eight points from their opening six league matches. However, their form deteriorated sharply, leaving them 17th after 11 rounds, with 29 goals conceded and only eight points on the board.
The defensive problems proved particularly costly. Sassuolo had conceded six goals against Lazio and four against both Fiorentina and Frosinone during their difficult spell, while the defeat in Rome extended their losing sequence to five matches.
Aquilani's final record was four victories, two draws and seven defeats across 13 matches in all competitions. The club has now decided a change of direction is necessary as it attempts to protect its place in the top flight.
D’Aversa has emerged as the preferred candidate and an agreement has been reached verbally. The former Torino coach is expected to sign a contract running until June 2027, although the formalities still need to be completed. He is understood to have been offered the opportunity to take charge after guiding Torino to 12th place during the closing months of last season.
D’Aversa will have little time to settle into the role. Sassuolo return from the international break with a home meeting against Genoa, before facing Napoli, Venezia, Lecce and Parma in a demanding sequence of fixtures.
Three of those four subsequent matches are against teams involved in the battle for survival, making the opening weeks of D’Aversa’s expected tenure particularly important.
Sassuolo need an immediate response after their recent collapse, and the new coach will be tasked with improving a defence that has been among the league's most vulnerable.