November 15, (THEWILL) – Walter Mazzarri made a dramatic return as Napoli manager on Tuesday, after the Italian champions sacked Rudi Garcia, following a dismal start to their Serie A title defence. Garcia lasted just five months at the helm, failing to inspire a Napoli side that retained most of its stars from last season’s historic first Scudetto since 1990.
Napoli currently sit 10 points behind league leaders, Inter Milan, in fourth position, and supporter unrest has grown as the euphoria of May’s title win has vanished rapidly. The final straw was Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Empoli, where boos and whistles rained down on Garcia’s side – their fourth home loss across all competitions this term.
Reports of Garcia’s dismissal surfaced right after that loss, with movie mogul and Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis confirming Mazzarri’s return on social media. The 62-year-old Italian previously coached Napoli between 2009 and 2013, guiding them to the 2012 Coppa Italia and a runner-up finish in Serie A.
However, Napoli have struggled to build on that relative success, with De Laurentiis’ decision to replace Luciano Spalletti with Garcia now coming under fire. Supporters are pointing fingers at the owner too, after he chose a coach whose stock has nosedived since being sacked by Roma in 2016.
Mazzarri has penned a deal until the end of the 2023/2024 season. His task will be to revive Napoli’s fortunes amid growing fan discontent with on-field performances and ownership decisions. De Laurentiis has long had a fractious relationship with supporters, and restoring unity in Naples represents a huge challenge.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
