Gianfranco Zola has emerged as one of the favourites to become the new coach of Cagliari, with Zdenek Zeman's days in charge seemingly numbered.
Although Zeman led the final training session of 2014 on Monday morning, he is not expected to report back for duty after Christmas with the Sardinian club about to relieve him of his duties, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport and much of the Italian media.
Cagliari end the year third from bottom in Serie A with just 12 points from 16 games. However, parting ways with the man who was expected to bring some entertainment and glory to the club is proving a difficult choice.
"We're analysing the situation together with Zeman to find out what the best solution is to get out of this difficulty," explained the club's director of sport Francesco Marroccu to Videolina.
"We're in daily contact with the coach because it is he, together with us, who created the Cagliari of this season.
"There's a lot of him in this side so we need him to try to understand things. We're having problems with our league position and, lately, also with our game. With any other coach, he would have been sacked, full stop. We are still on a wavelength with the coach and we're trying to work out together what's best.
"We are all involved in this dialogue. The team are third from bottom and we are in a period of difficulty."
The result of those talks has yet to be announced, but it is believed Zeman, at the end of training on Monday morning, bid farewell to his players not only for the Christmas festivities.
The Sardinia-born former Watford manager Zola, a Cagliari legend and fans' favourite, is seen as the No. 1 choice to take over, although Walter Zenga is given an outside chance of returning to Serie A.
The former Inter Milan goalkeeper missed out on the job of his dreams at the San Siro earlier this season and now seems ready to accept the next offer which comes his way.
"I turned down quite a few [offers] in the past few months because I had in mind something important happening with Inter, but now that avenue's closed and locked shut," Zenga told Radio Onda Libera. "I'm looking around and thinking positive. I don't like having to close the door on people."