Rudi Garcia has been relieved of his duties as the manager of Napoli after their 1-0 loss to Empoli. Their most recent game was the last straw that forced president Aurelio Di Laurentiis to dismiss the former Al Nassr manager, whose appointment was scrutinised right from the beginning.
Reports from Italy suggest Garcia boarded a plane for France and is now back with his family after discussions with the board. In spite of former Marseille manager Igor Tudor being rumoured as the main candidate to become the new Azzurri manager, the board has decided to sanction the return of Walter Mazzarri as the first team head coach.
Rudi Garcia sacked by Napoli; Walter Mazzarri joins as replacement
Heading into the November international break, the Serie A winners are in fourth place with 21 points from 12 games. They trail current league leaders Inter by 10 points, and their hopes of a successful title defence are fading fast due to the chaos behind the scenes.
Star forward Victor Osimhen was visibly frustrated with Rudi Garcia after he was taken off, while his tactics have also been called into question as of late. The team has not been as free flowing as it was last season under Luciano Spalletti, and the results speak for themselves in terms of their decline.
Mazzarri was previously in charge of Napoli between 2009 and 2013. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Azzurri at the start of his managerial career during the 1998/99 season. Most recently, he was in charge of Cagliari and now returns to the Diego Maradona Stadium after ten years away.
