A shocking confession by Napoli’s president has stunned the world: he wishes he had fired Rudi Garcia on the same day the coach was introduced.



Owner and president Aurelio De Laurentiis spoke frankly about <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/napoli-readies-replacements-for-outgoing-manager-rudi-garcia-20231113-WST-469693.html">Rudi Garcia</a>‘s limited time as head coach in an interview with <a href="https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/serie-a/napoli/2023/12/22-119280622/de_laurentiis_esclusivo_adesso_facciamo_la_serie_e_lite_" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Corriere dello Sport</a>. His team is now serving as Italian champions.



Luciano Spalletti’s resignation after last season caught everyone off guard by the Partenopei’s selection of the Frenchman.



While looking for a new coach in June, many names came up, including Igor Tudor, Luis Enrique, Christophe Galtier, and Vincenzo Italiano. Whoever Garcia was up against seemed far more suited for the league winners.



Before joining <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/napoli-tv-schedule-for-viewers-in-united-states/">Napoli</a>, the French coach coached Al-Nassr for nine months. His failure to reach an agreement with their best player, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/the-year-in-review-the-top-soccer-stories-in-2023-20231219-WST-475178.html">Cristiano Ronaldo</a>, led to his dismissal in April 2023.



<h2>What did De Laurentiis say about other choices?</h2>



Now, De Laurentiis has voiced his qualms with the selection of Garcia after learning that the new manager was inexperienced with the squad. In addition, the manager reportedly had a different soccer mentality than the club’s previous coach.



The former Al-Nassr manager was not even De Laurentiis’s first pick for head coach. It all started when the 74-year-old contacted <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/thiago-motta-following-in-de-zerbis-path-as-elite-coach-20231202-WST-474430.html">Thiago Motta</a>, whose Bologna squad is doing well in Serie A.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="295" height="436" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231223_WST_479421_image-15_deffb8cf.webp&amp;width=295&amp;height=436" alt="" class="wp-image-479471" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/image-15.png 295w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/image-15-203x300.png 203w" sizes="(max-width: 295px) 100vw, 295px"></figure><figcaption>Thiago Motta’s side Bologna side are on fire.</figcaption></figure>



Nevertheless, the pressure of replacing a coach who won the Scudetto was too much for Motta. Therefore, he turned down the job.



“Thiago Motta was the first one I called. It wasn’t so wrong, eh? However, he didn’t feel ready. Do you know what the problem was? He needed to replace somebody who had won the title that way. He thought: ‘What will happen if it doesn’t go well?’



De Laurentiis persisted in his pursuit of a manager and eventually settled on Garcia after contacting Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann, among others. The former would subsequently sign with Paris Saint-Germain.



The final selection was based on the Frenchman’s track record of success in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/where-to-watch-serie-a-on-us-tv-and-internet/">Italian Serie A</a>, regardless of his image as a manager of high-profile clubs known for their conflicting locker rooms.



“Then I met Luis Enrique. His parents came to Naples, and he kept me on hold for three days. He asked for so much money. Then it was Nagelsmann’s turn. I spoke to five or six candidates but said 40 to shuffle the cards. I picked Garcia who had finished second twice in Serie A, managing dressing rooms full of champions.”



<h2>What did De Laurentiis say about Rudi Garcia?</h2>



But De Laurentiis quickly came to regret his choice, particularly when Garcia confessed he had never heard of Napoli or seen any of their matches. The 59-year-old former Roma boss had an inconsistent time in Naples, winning eight matches while drawing four and losing four.



As a result, he was let go. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/napoli-names-walter-mazzarri-as-replacement-for-rudi-garcia-20231114-WST-470045.html">Walter Mazzarri</a> has been in charge of the coaching duties since then, and his record is three wins and four defeats.



“I realized Garcia [wasn’t the right man] the day of his unveiling. I should have caused a scene and announced, ‘I have just introduced him to you and now he is leaving’. Someone who shows up and says ‘I don’t know Napoli, I never watched one of their matches’ should have made me understand.



“Instead, I took it like a joke. Then he repeated it other times. All he had to do was play the same football as Spalletti.”



Photo credit: IMAGO / Insidefoto

Shocking confession: Napoli regret not axing Garcia on first day

A shocking confession by Napoli's president has stunned the world: he wishes he had fired Rudi Garcia on the same day he was introduced.

Shocking confession: Napoli regret not axing Garcia on first day - World Soccer Talk

Napoli sacked manager Rudi Garcia on Tuesday, and it officially replaced the Frenchman with Italian Walter Mazzarri. Mazzarri was the manager of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/napoli-tv-schedule-for-viewers-in-united-states/">Napoli</a> from the 2009/10 season to 2012/13. He led Napoli to its best league finish in over 20 years when Napoli finished second that season in Serie A. He steps in for Rudi Garcia, who has been under fire for Napoli’s performances this season.



Rudi Garcia only lasted three months with Napoli. He replaced Luciano Spalletti after the Italian parted ways with the club. Last season, Spalletti led <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/napoli-fans-erupt-as-club-wins-first-serie-a-title-in-33-years-20230505-WST-431763.html">Napoli to the club’s first Scudetto</a> since Diego Maradona represented the club in 1989/90. Despite retaining most of the stars of that title-winning side, Napoli has not been able to repeat the success Spalletti delivered. 



Currently, the Italian side is fourth in Serie A. After 12 games, Napoli has six wins, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/napoli-draw-against-milan-with-stunning-second-half-comeback-20231029-WST-465803.html">three draws</a> and three losses. Most recently, a loss at home against relegation candidate Empoli spelled the end for Garcia. Napoli is 10 points adrift of league-leading Inter Milan. In the UEFA Champions League, the club has seven points after four games. Therefore, it is on the brink of reaching the knockout stages for a second straight season. Still, the league performances have not been strong enough for the new standard at Napoli.



The performances under Garcia were far too inconsistent for club president Aurelio de Laurentiis. Also, de Laurentiis was not overly fond of Garcia to begin with. After hiring the Frenchman, the club president admitted that he was not at the top of the list. However, the club rolled with Garcia, which may have set it behind the pace in Italy.



<h2>Napoli turning to a familiar face in Walter Mazzarri</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231114_WST_470045_Rudi-Garcia-1200x675.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-470047" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Rudi-Garcia-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Rudi-Garcia-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Rudi-Garcia-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Rudi-Garcia.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Rudi Garcia’s Napoli has been struggling compared to last season’s Serie A champions.</figcaption></figure>



Walter Mazzarri has had a journeyman career as a manager. Yet, the major focus of his clubs is in Italy. As stated, his first stint with Napoli started in October of the 2009/10 season. At the time, Napoli was in 14th. Immediately after hiring Mazzarri, Napoli went on an unbeaten run in the league for 15 games. Seven of those games were draws, and eight were wins. Yet, Napoli conceded far fewer goals under Mazzarri. In the end, Napoli finished sixth in that first season. Then, over the next three years, Napoli had finishes of third, fifth and second in Mazzarri’s last campaign.



There were <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/napoli-readies-replacements-for-outgoing-manager-rudi-garcia-20231113-WST-469693.html">several other names Napoli was considering</a> to replace Garcia in the current campaign. For example, rumors suggested Fabio Cannavaro and Igor Tudor. For Napoli, Mazzarri was the safest choice given his success managing in Serie A with Napoli in the past.



After Napoli, though, Mazzarri did not succeed with Inter Milan, Torino or Cagliari. With Cagliari, Mazzarri signed a three-year contract early in the 2021/22 season. However, Cagliari found itself in a relegation battle, and the club sacked Mazzarri in May of that campaign.



<h2>A gauntlet to start his second stint</h2>



Napoli sacked Garcia right before a brutal spell of games both domestically and in Europe. That starts in late November on the road against Atalanta, the club directly beneath Napoli in the table. After that, Napoli travels to Spain to face Real Madrid in matchday five of the UEFA Champions League. The two league games following the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu are home to Inter Milan and at Juventus. Napoli then rounds out its Champions League group stage against Braga at home. 



Mazzarri will instantly be under the microscope, and this may all happen without Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian has no expected return date.



PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Napoli names Walter Mazzarri as replacement for Rudi Garcia

Napoli sacked manager Rudi Garcia on Tuesday, and it officially replaced the Frenchman with Italian Walter Mazzarri.

Last season’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/napoli-fans-erupt-as-club-wins-first-serie-a-title-in-33-years-20230505-WST-431763.html">Scudetto-winning side</a> of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/napoli-tv-schedule-for-viewers-in-united-states/">Napoli</a> is flailing under Rudi Garcia. The French replacement for Luciano Spalletti has struggled in his first 12 league games at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. With six wins, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/napoli-draw-against-milan-with-stunning-second-half-comeback-20231029-WST-465803.html">three draws</a> and three losses, Napoli sits fourth in the Serie A table. It is 10 points adrift of Juventus, which leads the current table. 



As a result of the club’s struggles, Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis has already named potential replacements for the boss after three months in charge. Last season, Spalletti’s Napoli side only had four losses in the entire league season. Garcia’s Napoli has three losses, and it has dropped points in half of the games this season. 



<h2>A changing Napoli side</h2>



Garcia did have to deal with some changes to the squad that won the Scudetto with Spalletti. Kim Min-jae left for Bayern Munich, and the South Korean was a mainstay in the defense that conceded just 28 goals in Serie A play last season. This season, Napoli is already up to 13 goals against. Napoli’s incoming signings have not overly succeeded yet, either. The Italian side spent over $30 million on Jesper Lindstrom from Eintracht Frankfurt. The German attacking midfielder has made just one start, and he is yet to contribute a goal or assist to Napoli. 



Prior to this past weekend’s loss at home to Empoli, Rudi Garcia said he wanted to make supporters happy. However, his tactics have not suited last season’s elite players. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen combined for 38 goals and 18 assists. An injury to Osimhen has forced the Nigerian out of six games after another strong start to the campaign. Osimhen had six goals in eight Serie A appearances before a hamstring injury sent him to the sidelines. Kvaratskhelia still has a decent seven goal contributions, but it is not the pace he was setting last season. Osimhen’s absence certainly hurts in that regard.



<h2>Naming another manager at Napoli to replace Rudi Garcia</h2>



When Napoli hired Rudi Garcia, de Laurentiis admitted the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/conte-rejects-napoli-unexpected-frontrunner-to-replace-garcia-20231012-WST-461752.html">Frenchman was not his first selection</a>. The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/former-juventus-president-top-coaches-do-not-want-napoli-20231103-WST-467029.html">already-ruffled relationship</a> cannot bode well for Garcia’s confidence in a Napoli side ripe with expectations. Moreover, it may spell an early exit from the Italian club.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231113_WST_469693_Cannavaro-de-Laurentiis-1200x675.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-469733" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Cannavaro-de-Laurentiis-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Cannavaro-de-Laurentiis-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Cannavaro-de-Laurentiis-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Cannavaro-de-Laurentiis.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Fabio Cannavaro, pictured here with his brother Paolo, has been spotted in the President’s box with Aurelio de Laurentiis.</figcaption></figure>



If de Laurentiis sacks Garcia, there are several candidates he could bring in. One of the names circling the rumor mill is 2006 Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro. According to the <a href="https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/Napoli/12-11-2023/napoli-chi-al-posto-di-garcia-fabio-cannavaro-tudor-e-mazzarri-fra-i-papabili.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gazzetta dello Sport</a>, Cannavaro has long sought after the manager role at Napoli. Cannavaro spent his youth career and four seasons at the senior level with Napoli. After moving away in 1995, he had spells with Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid. He is the last defender to win the Ballon d’Or, doing so in 2006. 



Importantly, Cannavaro has a close relationship with the passionate de Laurentiis. The Italian executive would, therefore, have increased support for the former defender.



Another potential name is Igor Tudor. Recently, Tudor was the manager of Marseille. However, he parted ways with the French club when he cited his ‘tiredness’ with Marseille. He led the French outfit to a third-place finish in Ligue 1, which got it into the qualifying stages of the UEFA Champions League. The Croatian manager previously managed Udinese on two occasions and served as an assistant at Juventus.



Walter Mazzarri, who managed Napoli for a handful of seasons in the late 2000s, is the third name that could take over at the club. Gazzetta reports de Laurentiis is not overly fond of a previous manager coming back, though.



PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Napoli readies replacements for outgoing manager Rudi Garcia

Last season's Scudetto-winning side of Napoli is flailing under Rudi Garcia, and the club could make a change just months into his regime.

The faithful of Napoli were preparing to pick up where they left off before the end of the previous winning campaign. Since the squad finally won the Italian league after 33 years, the city of Naples has scarcely stopped partying.



<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/napoli-tv-schedule-for-viewers-in-united-states/">Napoli</a> won the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/where-to-watch-serie-a-on-us-tv-and-internet/">Serie A</a> championship with five games to spare last season thus the team was met with chants of ‘champions’ in their last few games. This season’s home games have been met with the same enthusiastic chanting as previous ones.



However, the Partenopei have taken the field looking something different lately, in part because of the change in leadership. The team’s former coach, Luciano Spalletti, resigned, citing a need for a sabbatical, and was replaced by Rudi Garcia. His aggressive strategies had won acclaim from around Europe.



The 59-year-old departed Al-Nassr by mutual agreement in April, not long after it acquired Cristiano Ronaldo. Even before teams in the nation started actively recruiting star players from Europe.



<h2>Conte swiftly rejected Napoli last month</h2>



So far, however, the Frenchman’s adventures in Italy have not gone well. Unfortunately for Napoli, Garcia has not been able to sustain the success of his predecessor. Currently, Napoli sits in fifth place.



There have been some encouraging indications from the club in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/where-to-watch-uefa-champions-league-and-europa-league-on-us-tv-and-internet/">UEFA Champions League</a>. Napoli defeated Braga and Union Berlin while narrowly losing to Real Madrid. Nevertheless, the French coach is under increasing scrutiny.



Sky Italia claimed in October that the Azzurri president Aurelio De Laurentiis was considering firing head coach <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/victor-osimhens-agent-threatens-to-sue-napoli-after-club-fiasco-20230927-WST-458762.html">Rudi Garcia</a> after the squad got off to a shaky start. De Laurentiis met with Garcia and the club’s personnel last month to talk about the direction of the project.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231103_WST_467029_Rudi-Garcia-Napoli-1200x675.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-467224" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Rudi-Garcia-Napoli-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Rudi-Garcia-Napoli-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Rudi-Garcia-Napoli-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Rudi-Garcia-Napoli.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Napoli has not been as dominant as it was last season under new boss Rudi Garcia.</figcaption></figure>



The Blues’ chairman wanted Antonio Conte to replace Rudi Garcia as manager. But Conte’s representatives <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/conte-rejects-napoli-unexpected-frontrunner-to-replace-garcia-20231012-WST-461752.html">quickly shot down the offer</a>. Neither financial nor technical factors played a role in his decision to reject the offer.



Since then, TEAMtalk reported the Napoli administration compiled a shortlist of three coaches. Any of those coaches could replace Garcia in the closing stages of the season. One of those is Graham Potter, who has been <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/graham-potter-tied-to-surprising-move-as-international-manager-20231102-WST-466867.html">a candidate for several clubs</a> since leaving Chelsea. 



In addition to Potter, former Marseille coach Igor Tudor and current River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo of Argentina are candidates.



<h2>Former Juventus President takes swipe at Napoli</h2>



Former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli criticized Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis. The Juventus executive states no coach wants to work for him at Napoli. “I think [Rudi] Garcia is safe in his position now because no other coach wants to join Napoli,” he told <a href="https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/cobolli-gigli-contro-de-laurentiis-nessuno-vuole-allenare-il-napoli-per-colpa-sua-1895568" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radio Kiss Kiss</a>.



“De Laurentiis said he spoke to many coaches who didn’t want to come to Napoli and will regret it. Someone who says things like that has to realize that coaches are not stupid, and it is not easy for them to deal with a President who has such a strong presence.



“The story that De Laurentiis went into the locker room is a useful strategy, but if he always does this and wants to be the coach, then just go the whole hog, give him coaching badges and let him run the team.”



PHOTOS: IMAGO

Former Juventus President: Top coaches do not want Napoli

Former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli criticized Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis and Napoli's failed pursuit of top-level coach.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is considering his options, including Antonio Conte, to replace Rudi Garcia.



Napoli sits fifth in the Serie A standings with 14 points after eight games. That comes after four victories and two draws. In comparison to last season, under Luciano Spalletti, they were one of the most dynamic teams in Europe.



Positive results against Braga and a tight defeat to Real Madrid signaled progress for Garcia’s players in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">Champions League</a>. However, the French coach is under increasing scrutiny.



<h5>Meeting to discuss Rudi Garcia’s future</h5>



The former Al-Nassr manager succeeded Luciano Spalletti at <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/napoli-tv-schedule-for-viewers-in-united-states/">Napoli</a> this June. Both fans and experts had conflicting responses to the Partenopei’s decision to employ the manager. Now, Garcia is under the microscope.



President Aurelio De Laurentiis met with Garcia and other club executives on Monday. According to <a href="https://gianlucadimarzio.com/it/napoli-garcia-esonero-situazione-news-9-ottobre-2023" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sky Italia</a>, this led to an open evaluation of whether or not the 59-year-old is suitable for the position.



Thus, Napoli is contemplating firing the Frenchman in the next few days. Consequently, it can begin looking for a successor during the current international break. Many high-profile managers have been mentioned in connection with the Italian side since the news spread.



<h2>Conte makes swift decision on Napoli call</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">🚨🔵 Antonio Conte had a long, direct talk with Napoli today. Discussions were not positive as Italian coach decided to keep waiting for new opportunity. Napoli president De Laurentiis spoke directly to Conte but no agreement. Antonio prefers to wait before accepting new job. <a href="https://t.co/UbHYKXpnAa">pic.twitter.com/UbHYKXpnAa</a>— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1712153071055245693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



As it turns out, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis wanted to replace Rudi Garcia with Antonio Conte as head coach. However, Conte’s rejection was quite plain.



Neither financial nor technical considerations played into his stated decision to turn down Napoli’s offer, as confirmed by <a href="https://gianlucadimarzio.com/it/conte-allenare-serie-a-news" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio</a>. The former Tottenham boss declined the position because he would rather have a pre-season training camp to get ready for the next season.



De Laurentiis has opted to continue with Garcia for the time being, but the next games are crucial. Napoli, meanwhile, will have to explore its alternative possibilities. Relevo, a Spanish news outlet, suggests Lopetegui for the job because of his extensive coaching experience with the Spanish national team, Sevilla, and Wolves.



PHOTO: IMAGO / PPAUK

Conte rejects Napoli, unexpected frontrunner to replace Garcia

After eliminating himself from consideration, Antonio Conte leaves an unexpected name among the candidates for the Napoli post.

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Shocking confession: Napoli regret not axing Garcia on first day

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Conte rejects Napoli, unexpected frontrunner to replace Garcia