Livorno president hints at Nicola sacking

Livorno president Aldo Spinelli has hinted that he is considering sacking coach Davide Nicola after a poor run of form. The Stadio Armando Picchi outfit sit joint bottom of Serie A having taken just one point from their last eight league outings. Saturday's 3-0 home defeat by Parma means newly-promoted Livorno have lost 12 of their 19 top-flight games this season, winning just three times. Coach Nicola was given a vote of confidence early last month, with a club statement insisting Spinelli had "never contacted, nor thought of contacting, other coaches" with a view to taking the reins. However, it appears that the president's patience is now wearing thin, as he toldRai Sportfollowing the Parma loss: "At this stage, I don't know what else to do. I've defended him more than once." Spinelli indicated that the club's technical director Attilio Perotti, who took over briefly towards the end of the 2011-12 campaign and managed to salvage Livorno's Serie B status, could be in line for a second stint in charge. "A replacement? It could be Attilio Perotti, as he has already rescued us once," he added. "He knows the environment and I wouldn't want to bring someone in from the outside."