Even after the Italian club won its first Serie A title in 33 years, Napoli will face another summer revolution. In fact, head coach Luciano Spalletti will leave the club at the end of the season, as suggested by multiple reports, as well as by the manager himself in his press conference following the most recent match against Inter.
"I'm not waiting for anything, everything is clear. Just need to say it. Aurelio De Laurentiis (club owner) said wait a minute, but everything was clear. ”
While Spalletti is expected to take a year off, as he did after being sacked by Inter Milan in the summer of 2019, Napoli will soon begin searching for a new coach given his contract until summer 2024. De Laurentiis and Spalletti are likely to end their working relationship after just two years, despite making history at the club.
There are several reasons for this decision. First of all, Spalletti probably felt it was time to end his career at Napoli because he made history and won the Serie A title because he couldn't give everything he had done in the last two seasons, but also on a personal level, as the coach really lived in the club's training centre. In addition, sporting director Cristiano Guntori may also leave Napoli at the end of the season, with reports that Juventus have decided to start a new cycle in which he is employed. Juntori is one of the heroes behind Napoli's success in recent years, signing the likes of defenders Kim Minya, Victor Osimhen and Hevica Kovaratz Helia, to name a few.
The Juntoli-Spalletti duo has performed so well that it's hard to replace one or even both. On the other hand, De Laurentiis tells us that he is good at making the right decisions, as he did last summer, when he decided to sell players such as defender Calidu Koulibaly, former captain Lorenzo Insigne and club legend Draeus Mertens in the same transfer window. Now let's take a look at the possible alternatives.
Big names: Antonio Conte and Luis Enrique
De Laurentiis may decide to go for big names as he did in the past when he appointed managers like Rafael Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti. The Spanish manager, for example, is also a name for a possible comeback, and Antonio Conte seems unlikely that neither of them wants to stop controlling because of his working relationship with De Laurentiis. Some reports have also hinted that Luis Enrique could return to Serie A after taking charge of Roma during the 2011-12 season. The Spanish head coach is looking for a new club after ending his tenure with the Spanish national team after the end of the 2022 World Cup. When it comes to the head coach, De Laurentiis doesn't like big names, and he has shown in the past to prefer people he thinks can work better for his team than people who create headlines. That's why he doesn't have a good relationship with the coaches, which is definitely a factor to consider.
Serie A candidates: Thiago Motta, Vincenzo Idaliano
Most likely, it is a manager who already works and knows Serie A. Napoli will be considered the frontrunner to win the title again, as this often happens when you win the league. Despite a lot of interest, Napoli will try to keep the big names on the list. While Roberto De Zelby (who has always been admired by De Laurentiis) will remain at Brighton and will not return to Italy this summer, the club's eyes are on three names in particular attention. The current Bologna manager is Thiago Mota (who is also the focus of Paris Saint-Germain) and Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Zoi Daliano. They are both young and they also share a common philosophy of attacking football. However, as coaches they still need to gain experience at a high level, but this is not a problem for Napoli, as similar coaches appointed in the past end up receiving a lot of appreciation, such as Maurizio Sarri.
Potential dark horses: Julian Nagelsmann and Massimiano Allegri
A surprising name is definitely an option, like Julian Nagelsmann, mentioned in recent days. There is another scenario that could also determine the future of another bench, also related to the future of Massimiliano Allegri. The current Juventus boss could leave the Bianconeri at the end of the season, although his contract expires in the summer of 2025. With Gunitoli heading to Juventus, he could also decide to bring Spalletti to Juventus (if De Laurentiis allows it), while Allegri could also be a natural candidate for work at Napoli. It will be an unexpected turn in events, but for Napoli and Juventus it will not be the first or last.
Article source: 68 Sports