BEVERLY HILLS, May 29, (THEWILL) – As the managerial turnover across Europe that has seen coaches exit one club and be appointed by another, from Jose Mourinho to Massimiliano Allegri, Napoli has become the latest to confirm a replacement in their managerial position with the appointment of Italian coach Luciano Spalletti.
THEWILL recalls that Victor Osimhen’s manager Gennaro Gattuso was fired after a season spent pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps to come within striking distance of denying former Serie A champions Juventus a top four finish and a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
However, when they fell short of the mark and ended fifth, Gattuso, who brought Osimhen to Napoli and stood by him through the trial period of his struggles and absences due to injuries, suspensions, coronavirus isolation, among others, was fired. The sacking came via a post on Twitter from the verified account of Aurelio De Laurentiis, the owner of the Napoli side. He tweeted:
“Dear Rino, I am happy to have spent almost two seasons with you. Thank you for your work and I wish you success wherever you go. A hug also to your wife and children.”
It did not take long for Gattuso to find another job, when Serie A club Fiorentina appointed him head coach and just in time too, Napoli have appointed his replacement with the confirmation of former Inter Milan coach Spalletti as their new manager and the one under whom Osimhen will continue his Italian career.
Spalletti is a two-time Serie A Coach of the Year and, in his last employ, guided AS Roma to two Coppa Italia trophies. The experienced manager was also in charge of Zenit St Petersburg when they won two Russian Premier League honours, though the 62-year-old, who left Inter at the end of the season in 2019, has stayed away from management until now.
The onus of taking Napoli back to the elite European competition for next season now lies squarely on Spalletti’s shoulders and he will have to keep to that objective to make De Laurentiis happy.
He has the experience and record to show that it is not too high a target for him. And Nigerian fans of the game will hope he is as fair and considerate to Osimhen, and the rest of the Napoli squad, as Gattuso showed himself to be.
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.
