Udinese have brought back Gabriele Cioffi as coach after sacking Andrea Sottil, the struggling Serie A club announced on Wednesday.

In a statement, Udinese said that Cioffi had "signed a contract which will keep him at the club until June 30, 2024 with an option for a further year".

Cioffi replaces Sottil who was fired on Tuesday following a dismal start to the season which has brought no wins and six points from nine matches.

Udinese dropped into the relegation zone on Monday following a 1-1 home draw with Lecce and Empoli's shock 2-0 success at high-flying Fiorentina.

Cioffi, 48, last worked for Udinese in the 2021-22 season, when he helped steer the club away from relegation after taking over as caretaker coach from the sacked Luca Gotti.

Udinese did not extend his contract at the end of that season and he moved to Verona, where he lasted only a few months before being sacked in October last year.

Cioffi begins his second spell at Udinese with a tough trip to Monza on Sunday.