Napoli has appointed Walter Mazzarri as the new coach until the end of the season, following unsuccessful negotiations with Igor Tudor. Last season, Napoli clinched the Scudetto after 33 years under the leadership of Luciano Spalletti, during which players like Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia excelled.
Osimhen earned the title of best striker with 26 goals and four assists in Serie A, while Kvaratskhelia scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists, securing the league’s best player award.
However, after winning the league, coach Spalletti left the team first on sabbatical and then he took on the Italy Job. Napoli then appointed French tactician Rudi Garca to take over the tole.
Unfortunately, things have not gone well as they attempt a title defence this season, as the Serie A champions have failed to hit their levels of last season. They currently sit fourth in the Italian top flight, 10 points behind rivals Inter Milan.
Following their poor run of form, the club sacked Garcia on Monday who returned to France on the same day. There were talks that they were on the brink of agreeing on a deal with former Marseille boss Tudor. However, that deal fell through.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the club has now decided to appoint Mazzarri after agreeing on personal terms. The Italian will take on the job till the end of the season.
It will be Mazzarri’s second stint in charge of Napoli. During his first, he had a dangerous frontline of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamšík and Edinson Cavani. This attack was one of the deadliest in the 2011/2012 season as Cavani was third on the top scorers list with 23 goals and they won the Copa Italia.
The 62-year-old coach, who previously spent four years in the Campania capital from 2009 to 2013, is happy to act as a custodian of the club until the end of the season.
Osimhen will be keen to reap the rewards of working with an attack-minded coach who focuses on the centre forward as the spear of the attack instead of Garcia who tried to get other players to score.
