Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has published a letter on his club's website calling on fans to unite and get behind the team, after making his eighth managerial change of the current season.
Walter Novellino was officially appointed as the seventh incumbent on the Rosaneri bench when he replaced Beppe Iachini -- who resigned after his second spell in charge -- on Thursday.
His task is to save the Sicilian club from the ever-growing threat of relegation with 10 games of the season remaining.
Zamparini has taken a lot of flak for the way in which he has hired and fired coaches this season, but he has called for the fans to put their anger with him to one side and focus all of their energy on backing Novellino and the team.
"This is a very difficult moment for Palermo in a paradoxical and difficult year," Zamparini wrote. "This is not the time for protests, it is the time for COLLABORATION. We need to COLLABORATE with each other in order to put all of our energy into Palermo staying in Serie A.
"Unfortunately, in the event of relegation, the club, the team and the city of Palermo would all go into Serie B together with the president. Of course the coaches and players can all go to other clubs and this is why all of us, from the club to the team, from the fans to the city, are all on the same boat and, all together, we have got to COLLABORATE to ensure we do not sink in the next ten games.
50 #Palermo fans arrive at the training ground with smoke bombs in protest against president https://t.co/N0ziRbDuww pic.twitter.com/WfgXWHhmhH
- ForzaItalianFootball (@SerieAFFC) March 9, 2016
"The duty of somebody in charge of a club is to take decisions and at times these may be wrong. But I still have to take these decisions. I have always worked in my and your club's best interests, and only time will tell if my decisions were right or wrong.
"In recent months the club has had to react to [Davide] Ballardini leaving of his own free will, [Guillermo] Schelotto running away to Boca Juniors, and Iachini resigning due to stress. It is easy to protest, but it is more difficult to build. I need all of you to build Palermo's safety, with the same passion that you have shown over these years."
Palermo host second-placed Napoli on Sunday night before travelling to Empoli and Chievo.
They are just a point above Frosinone in the relegation zone, having picked up three points from their last seven games.