The Napoli striker Victor Osimhen gets a new coach as the Serie A champions have named Walter Mazzarri to lead the team until the end of the season, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Negotiations with Igor Tudor were ongoing until Monday, but the deal collapsed due to the failure to reach a compromise.
Last season, Naples claimed the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years under the guidance of Luciano Spalletti, a period during which attacking players such as Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia excelled.
Osimhen scored 26 goals and provided four assists in Serie A, securing the title of best striker, while Kvaratskhelia notched 12 goals and 13 assists, earning him the league’s best player award.
After winning the league, coach Spalletti departed from the team for a sabbatical and subsequently took on the Italy Job. Napoli then appointed French tactician Rudi Garca to take over the role.
However, the team’s performance has been lackluster as they strive to defend their title this season, currently occupying the fourth position in the Italian top flight, trailing rivals Inter Milan by 10 points.
Following their poor run of form, the club sacked Garcia on Monday, and talks with former Marseille boss Tudor failed to materialize.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the club has now opted for Mazzarri after reaching a consensus on personal terms, with the Italian set to lead the team until the end of the season.
This will mark Mazzarri’s second stint in charge of Napoli, having previously overseen a lethal attacking trio of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamšík, and Edinson Cavani, known for their prowess during the 2011/2012 season when Cavani finished third on the top scorer’s list with 23 goals, leading them to victory in the Copa Italia.
The 62-year-old coach, who had previously spent four years in the Campania capital from 2009 to 2013, is pleased to take on the caretaker role at the club until the end of the season.
Osimhen will be eager to benefit from working with an attack-minded coach who places emphasis on the center forward as the focal point of the attack, a pivot from Garcia’s approach of encouraging other players to score.
