Torino sporting director Gianluca Petrachi has defended the decision to sack Sinisa Mihajlovic.

The Serb was axed early Thursday morning.

"It was a painful decision. We hadn't sacked anyone for a few years," he told Tuttosport.

“It was also complicated for [Mihaljovic], but the club have made some big signings and we want to be doing better.

“We've picked up four points less compared to last season, despite a significant transfer campaign.

“These are things that the club must weigh up. After that, it's normal that you're not happy.

“Mazzarri's an important choice for us. He's a top Coach, who married into our project. Market? It's too early to talk about it.

“We'll go through it with the Coach and draw conclusions after that."