Serie A champions Napoli have sacked Rudi Garcia and appointed Walter Mazzarri as his replacement on a deal until the end of the season.
It’s a second spell in charge for Mazzarri, who led the club between 2009 and 2013, guiding them to their first trophy in over 20 years by winning the 2012 Coppa Italia.
He will be tasked with getting Napoli’s season back on track as they attempt to defend the Scudetto they won so memorably under Luciano Spalletti.
Walter Mazzarri è il nuovo allenatore del Napoli.
⁰Bentornato Mister! pic.twitter.com/i5EXAziuVP— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) November 14, 2023
It was a surprise when Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis turned to Garcia in the summer, although he later admitted to trying several alternatives before settling on the Frenchman.
It seemed an unstable relationship from the outset and the Napoli fans struggled to warm to a man whose only silverware came with Lille in 2011.
The situation came to a head over the past week with Napoli only managing a draw with Bundesliga whipping boys Union Berlin in the Champions League before a dismal home defeat to Empoli in Serie A.
He departs with Napoli in fourth place but 10 points behind leaders Inter.
For Mazzarri, it’s a remarkable transformation in fortunes after a succession of failures after departing Napoli. The 62-year-old has been sacked by Inter, Watford, Torino and Cagliari.
