Could Maurizio Sarri Make a Return to Napoli?

Reports in Italy suggest that Maurizio Sarri, who previously managed Napoli, could make a return to his former club, replacing the current manager Gennaro Gattuso.

The Naples’ side early exit from the Europa League at the hands of Granada was, as expected, not received well either by fans of the team or those making the decisions in the club. Gennaro Gattuso’s future is once again being debated after Gli Azzurri failed reach the levels expected at the beginning of the season.

While many names have circulated as possible replacements, it no looks like Maurizio Sarri may be in pole position for the job.

The famous tactician managed Napoli between 2015 and 2018, earning considerable praise for his performances, and eventually being lured away to England where he managed Chelsea.

His last employment was Juventus with whom he won the Serie A championship in 2020. He was, however, dismissed as manager of the Serie A champions. Juve is still paying Sarri part of his full contract because of the decision to terminate it early. This may put the prospective deal with Napoli in danger.

Nario Cardini, a close friend of Sarri, told Italian reporters that the manager has, indeed, been in contact with representatives of the Partenopei side. He added, however, that Sarri did not show a great willingness to take on this new challenge.

It remains to be seen how Napoli manage to resolve the managerial situation in the weeks to come.