Kieron Bowie dealt major blow days after Hibs move as Hellas Verona hierarchy decision breeds uncertainty
The Hibs striker completed his Serie A transfer for a club record fee of around £7 million.
Hellas Verona boss Paolo Zanetti has been sacked, just three days after he signed former Hibs man Kieron Bowie.
The Serie A side have drawn two and lost six of their last eight and were most recently on the end of a 4-0 hammering away to Cagliari, which now looks to have been the straw that has broken the camel’s back. They currently sit rock bottom of the league table, but are only four points away from breaking out of the relegation zone.
While Bowie wasn’t included in the squad for the Cagliari defeat, with him being the club’s eighth most expensive player of all-time, there will still be an air of expectation in Northern Italy that the Scotland International can help them get out of trouble.
Verona sack Zanetti days after Bowie switch
A club statement read: "Hellas Verona FC announces that it has relieved Paolo Zanetti of his duties as head coach of the First Team. The yellow-and-blue Club thanks Mr. Zanetti and his staff for the work carried out over the past season and a half and wishes them all the best for the continuation of their professional careers. Today's training session will be led by Primavera coach Paolo Sammarco."
The 43-year old had been at Verona since 2024, having previously managed at Empoli and Venezia. Despite not including Bowie in the Cagliari defeat, he expressed before the game that he was excited to see Bowie get going in a yellow jersey, something which now he will not get the chance to witness as coach.
He said after the defeat: “It's normal for there to be evaluations about the coach and he knows it too. But we mustn’t forget I’ve been through difficult times too. Right now, we need to understand if we're capable of getting back on our feet.”
What Zanetti thought of Bowie after Hibs move
He continued: “I came to speak because I don't think it's right for a player or the coach to speak after such a defeat. It's a complicated period and we need to find a way to react because we owe it to everyone.
“Kieron Bowie has arrived and he will be a different type of striker for us. He's not in the squad yet, but he'll be back this week. He's a physical player with a big presence in the penalty box and with him we can offer us some different solutions."
Bowie grabbed eight goals and three assists for Hibs this season and at the age of 23, the Kirkcaldy born prospect was becoming a fan favourite at Easter Road. With his Serie A move now hitting an unfortunate stumbling block, it will now be up to the former Fulham man to impress the new gaffer the same way he did Zanetti, whoever that may be.