Napoli Sack Walter Mazzarri, Appoint Francesco Calzona as New Manager

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May 8, 2023
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Napoli's recent upheaval at the dugout has continued with the club handed over to a third hand in less than four months.

Since Scudetto-winning boss Luciano Spaletti left the Azzurri, Aurelio De Laurentiis has struggled to find another successor with the aura, depth, and ingenuity of Spaletti.

Following the departure of Spaletti, former Al-Nassr manager Rudi Garcia was appointed as new manager. A few months into the role, Garcia was sacked. The French football veteran won just 6 matches out of 12 - a stat far off the benchmark for a defending champion.

Aurelio De Laurentiis went for former manager Walter Mazzarri, who had a spell with the club as manager back in 2009 to 2013. Walter Wazzarri got Napoli from bad to worse. He took up the team on the 6th spot in Serie A, 10 points away from Serie A leaders Inter Milan but is leaving the team 9th on the table, 27 points adrift of the top.

Napoli is literally out of the 2023/24 Serie A title race and will now be battling for a top-four. Walter Wazzarri's wanting benchmarks led to his sack by Aurelio De Laurentiis.

De Laurentiis announced the sack of Mazzarri on his X handle and also confirmed new man Francesco Calzona for the club.

"I thank Walter Mazzarri, a friend of the De Laurentiis family and Napoli, for supporting the team in a difficult moment," Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said on his X account.

"He will remain in the hearts of the Neapolitans and our family. Welcome back to Francesco Calzona, who has already worked with us under both Sarri and Spalletti."

Francesco Calzona, who is Slovakia's national team manager, is reportedly appointed on an interim basis to take charge of the club till the end of the season. He will combine the role with Slovakia national team job having been granted approval by the Slovakia Football Federation to take up the role.

It is Francesco Calzona's first stint as a first-team manager of a football club. He previously worked as an assistant at Napoli under Maurizio Sarri and Luciano Spaletti.