Serie A champions Napoli have appointed Walter Mazzarri to take charge of the team till the end of the season.
Napoli were in talks with Igor Tudor until Monday, but the transaction fell through because neither party could reach an agreement.
Napoli won the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years last season. Luciano Spalletti led the team, and with him as coach, attackers like Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia thrived.
Osimhen won the Serie A best striker award with 26 goals and four assists, while Kvaratskhelia won the league best player award with 12 goals and 13 assists.
However, after winning the league, coach Spalletti took a break before taking on the Italy job. Rudi Garca, a French tactician, was then chosen by Napoli to take over the tole.
Unfortunately, the Serie A champions have failed to match their levels from last season as they strive to defend their title this season. They are now fourth in Italy’s premier division, 10 points behind Inter Milan.
Following the club’s terrible run of form, Garcia was fired on Monday and returned to France the same day. There were rumours that they were close to reaching an agreement with former Marseille manager Tudor. That agreement, however, fell through.
According to trade expert Fabrizio Romano, the club has chosen to hire Mazzarri after reaching an agreement on personal conditions. The Italians will be in charge till the end of the season.
Mazzarri will be in charge of Napoli for the second time. He possessed a deadly frontline of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamk, and Edinson Cavani during his first season. This was one of the most lethal attacks in the 2011/2012 season, as Cavani finished 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 Campania’s capital from 2009 to 2013, is content to serve as the club’s custodian until the end of the season.
Osimhen will be eager to reap the benefits of working with an offensive-minded coach who views the centre striker as the spearhead of the attack rather than Garcia, who attempted to get other players to score.
