Four major Italian media outlets have all given Napoli coach Rudi Garcia an identical rating after his first game in the Champions League since replacing Luciano Spalletti in the summer.
La Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Corriere dello Sport, Tuttosport and Tuttomercatoweb have all unanimously given Garcia a rating of six out of 10 after the Partenopei picked up their first three points of the European campaign with a 2-1 win away at Braga on Wednesday night.
After Giovanni Di Lorenzo opened the scoring in Portugal, Garcia was picked up by the cameras breathing a sigh of relief, which La Gazzetta notes is emblematic of how things have gone for the Frenchman so far. While Napoli have been far from perfect, they did ultimately get the job done.
It’s been a similar situation in Serie A, where Napoli have not quite looked like the same side that stormed their way to the Scudetto last season, but have still picked up two wins and a draw from their opening four matches.
What may come as a concern for Napoli in Europe, however, is the risk of suspension to key players, as six yellow cards were dished out on Wednesday.
Those who now run the risk of suspension include Victor Osimhen, Matteo Politano, Giacomo Raspadori, Frank Zambo Anguissa, Mathia Olivera and Juan Jesus.
Next up for Napoli in the Champions League is the visit of Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid at the beginning of October.
garcia out
Spalletti was slow to convince in his first season, Ultras stole his car and called for him to resign!
It’s a trap to fall into & become like a spoiled baby as a fan after winning the Scudetto. Give Garcia a chance, he may surprise everyone yet if it clicks for him and the team. No surprise though that there is worry at this point, the intense pressing of last season is lacking,
maybe the players are missing Spalletti?
Meanwhile the other 3 Italian teams in Champions could only draw!