Italian sports papers highlight Aurelio De Laurentiis’ errors in picking Rudi Garcia to replace Luciano Spalletti and insist sacking the French coach is inevitable: ‘He gave his Ferrari to the wrong driver.’
Garcia is set to be fired by Napoli after suffering a 1-0 loss against Empoli at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday.
The Partenopei have already opened talks with Igor Tudor, offering the former Juventus defender a contract until June 2024 with an option until 2025.
Garcia had signed a contract until June 2025, but his time with the club has already come to an end.
Eyebrows were raised when De Laurentiis appointed the ex-Roma boss last summer, replacing title-winning coach Luciano Spalletti and doubts of fans and media have proved to be justified.
“Everyone lost and two were wrong, President De Laurentiis and coach Rudi Garcia,” wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Sebastiano Vernazza on Monday (page 32).
“De Laurentiis loves to surprise. He listens and then he makes his decisions. He is the man in charge. He puts the money, but the absolute decisionism doesn’t always pay off. In nearly 20 years, he’s often picked the right coaches, but Garcia is among those who haven’t made it,” continued Vernazza.
“The choice resulted from the confusion caused by the departure of Luciano Spalletti and director Cristiano Giuntoli, a key figure in the market and a link-up between the owner and the team. De Laurentiis spoke to several candidates and chose Garcia, but his contract was terminated due to the incompatibility with the players.
“The first mistake was to pick a decisionist when Napoli needed a mediator. There are plenty of examples. Massimiliano Allegri didn’t change much when he replaced Antonio Conte at Juventus in 2014. I am not saying he didn’t do anything, but he changed things slowly, not in the first season. Even Simone Inzaghi at Inter, after replacing Conte, changed the approach gradually.
“Garcia entered Castel Volturno with a mower. He weakened Lobotka, generating a short circuit. The team lost points of reference and Kvaratskhelia seems the most out-of-place.”
Likewise, Il Corriere dello Sport calls ADL’s decision to sack Garcia inevitable.
“Five months were enough to ruin everything. Garcia’s tenure must be cancelled as soon as possible. The coach’s flop is certified by the numbers and the jeers from the Stadio Maradona confirmed the end of an adventure that reached absurd levels and surprised with inexplicable choices,” wrote journalist Pasquale Salvione.
“De Laurentiis has given his Ferrari to the wrong driver. A coach of great experience, elegant and refined in the way he presents himself, but obviously not suitable to plunge into this new reality.
“Kvaratskhelia’s exclusion against Empoli was the last brilliant idea when there was no need for creativity. Garcia knew his job was at stake. He was under pressure by the fans and the constant presence of De Laurentiis at Napoli training sessions and he replied by picking an illogical line-up. He left out the best player of last season (Kvara) and the most talented midfielder (Zielinski) and even Natan who has been among the best ones in defence lately.”
Tudor is a former Udinese, Hellas Verona and Marseille coach. He is reportedly open to coaching Napoli but has requested a contract until June 2025, while ADL has offered a deal until the end of the campaign, with an option for a further season.
In the meantime, Napoli will resume training one day ahead of schedule, on Tuesday, November 14 rather than Wednesday 15, but Rudi Garcia won’t oversee the upcoming session at Castel Volturno.