Bologna have sacked coach Franco Colomba before their first Serie A game of the season, the club announced yesterday.

Bologna begin the season with a home match against champions Inter tonight but already are looking for a new coach.

The club initially released a statement saying president Sergio Porcedda would be present at yesterday’s pre-match press conference instead of Colomba, sparking rumours that the coach had been fired.

Colomba, who had been in the job for less than a year, said upon leaving the club’s training base: “It’s a club decision, that’s all. Now they will speak and then I too will have my say, calmly.”

Porcedda promised that a new coach would be in place by Wednesday and said that youth team coach Paolo Magnani would take charge of the team at the Stadio Dall’Ara against Inter.

“We’ve come to this point to turn the page. To build a team that doesn’t just think about survival, (but) building and risking,” said Porcedda.

“We’ve spent money and bought young players. We need everyone to be 100 per cent committed to the project, if this doesn’t happen, it will be difficult.”