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Napoli Football Club has made the surprising decision to terminate the contract of manager Walter Mazzarri, only three months after his return to the helm. Francesco Calzona has been appointed as the interim successor, with the responsibility expected to last until the summer.
Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis shed light on the rationale behind Mazzarri’s dismissal, citing the team’s underwhelming performance under his leadership. Despite his re-appointment in November, the 62-year-old overseen only four victories out of 12 Serie A matches, leading Napoli to plummet to ninth place in the league table.
Speaking to Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sport Italia, De Laurentiis expressed mixed emotions about parting ways with Mazzarri, acknowledging his loyalty and contribution to the club during challenging times. However, De Laurentiis emphasized the need to provide Napoli fans with more substantial results. He expressed confidence in Calzona’s abilities, highlighting his past experience working with esteemed coaches like Maurizio Sarri and Luciano Spalletti. De Laurentiis emphasized the importance of supporting Calzona as he assumes his new role, particularly considering the imminent challenge of facing Barcelona in the Champions League.
Calzona, who previously served on Napoli’s backroom staff under Spalletti and Sarri, will balance his duties as interim head coach with his current role overseeing Slovakia’s national team.
Napoli finds themselves on the brink of a crucial Champions League clash against Barcelona at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. With their hopes of securing domestic titles dashed and early exits from other competitions, Napoli’s focus now shifts entirely to European success as they seek to salvage the season with silverware.
