FootballGarcía Pimienta revives hope at Almería with a style shaped by Barça
After the disappointment of the previous season, Almería handed its new project to García Pimienta. His team has gone unbeaten since a hesitant start.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (free licence), cropped and styled by SportNestra — author and licence
Venezia have sacked Giovanni Stroppa after six consecutive defeats. The club confirmed the decision on Tuesday, following a 3-1 loss away to Atalanta on Monday. With no points from six league matches, Venezia sit bottom of the table; the defeat at Atalanta brought matters to a head.
In an official statement, the club announced Stroppa’s departure and recognised his part in returning the team to Serie A. “Venezia FC announces that Giovanni Stroppa has been relieved of his duties as Head Coach of the First Team,” the statement said. It also noted that, under his leadership, the club earned promotion to Serie A in the 2025/26 season after playing a leading role in Serie BKT. Venezia also thanked Stroppa and his staff for their professionalism, dedication and commitment.
Stroppa arrived in Venice in the summer of 2025 and took the club back to Serie A by guiding it to first place in Serie B. That achievement raised hopes that Venezia could establish themselves in the top flight, but the poor opening run left the club facing a fight to avoid relegation. In July, Venezia had announced a new deal for Stroppa running until June 2029, with a further season possible if certain conditions were met.
Venezia now turn to the search for a successor and need a quick response as the season continues.
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