Gattuso is outperforming his managerial rivals. What’s De Laurentiis’ reaction?
Aurelio De Laurentiis took to Twitter to congratulate his Napoli manager, Gennaro Gattuso. However, after a season of uncertainty over the future of the Napoli managerial position, how should the club react now that Gattuso is performing better than most had anticipated.
Back in March, it seemed all but certain that Gattuso, the former great of the Italian national team, would be handed his walking papers at the end of the season. Expectations for Napoli to repeat the good performances of the 2019/2020 campaign seemed to have been buried under a series of injuries and other concerns.
Rumors suggested that Aurelio De Laurentiis favored current Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi for the role. This would have cost Napoli a hefty price, but the investment was deemed worthwhile by the club’s hierarchy. In early April, Lazio and Napoli met in Serie A. Gli Azzuri earned a 5-2 away victory and Gattuso won an important tactical battle.
Another man briefly considered for the job was Jose Mourinho. The former Tottenham manager has, however, opted to take charge of fellow Italian club AS Roma. It should, however, be remembered that while Gattuso has been building his profile steadily over the last few years, Mourinho has chipped away at his reputation with dismissals from Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham.
A similar view can be held of Rafael Benitez and Maurizio Sarri, former manager of Napoli and tacticians that looked in serious contention to take over for the club for the 2021/22 campaign.
Where does Napoli go now that Gennaro Gattuso has brought the club within an inch of Champions League qualification? Clearly, the team has shown it can go head to head with everyone provided that star players like Dries Mertens or Victor Osimhen are fit to play. Perhaps, it is time that Aurelio De Laurentiis bites his pride and thank his lucky stars. Gennaro Gattuso should remain the manager of Napoli for the team to have a consistent long-term vision.
