Continuing to struggle in Serie A, defending champions Napoli have made their second coaching change of the season just two days before facing Barcelona in the Champions League.
Napoli dismissed Walter Mazzarri after training on Monday and appointed Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona, who previously served as an assistant at the Serie A team but has no prior experience managing at the club level.
In November, Mazzarri replaced Rudi Garcia at Napoli, which is on track to be one of the worst defending champions in Serie A history, becoming the first Serie A team to change coaches twice in a season after winning the league.
"Mazzarri is a family friend and it is always painful to fire a friend,” Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis told Italian television channel Sky Sport. "I thanked him also for his readiness to come help us in a difficult moment for us.
"You need to manage to give something extra to Napoli and its fans, however.”
The 55-year-old Calzona has been given a contract until the end of the season and will be allowed to continue with his duties as Slovakia coach in the meantime, having helped the team qualify for the upcoming European Championship.
Calzona was assistant coach to Maurizio Sarri at Napoli from 2015-18, when the team was much lauded for its style of play despite not winning anything. He was also part of Luciano Spalletti's staff before leaving in 2022 for the Slovakia post, his first role as a head coach.
"Now we have to give space and support to Francesco Calzona, who has worked with us before both in Sarri's time and with Spalletti and know 80% of this group,” De Laurentiis said.
"Time ... will tell us if this was the right choice.”
Napoli are set to face Barcelona on Wednesday in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Mazzarri replaced Garcia in November and collected only 15 points in 12 Serie A matches – worse than his predecessor.
Garcia was fired after amassing 21 points from 12 matches and with Napoli in fourth place in Serie A, 10 points behind league leader Inter Milan.
Saturday's draw at home to Genoa left Napoli 27 points behind Inter, in ninth place and out of the European qualifying places.
Since the end of World War II, only five times have defending champions finished 20 points or more behind the Serie A champion. Juventus have the worst record, finishing 24 points behind champion AC Milan in 1962, a year after winning the title.
Napoli look a far cry from the team that won Serie A last season, thrilling at home and in Europe.
Garcia took over last offseason from title-winning coach Spalletti, who left to take a year-long sabbatical and then was named coach of Italy following Roberto Mancini’s resignation.
