Walter Mazzarri famously stuck with the 3-5-2 throughout his career, but already dropped hints recently that he could switch to 4-3-3 for this return to Napoli.
Luciano Spalletti won the Scudetto using a 4-3-3 formation only last season and when he decided to walk away, President Aurelio De Laurentiis said publicly that he based his choice of the next coach on who could continue those tactical ideas.
This brought in Rudi Garcia, but he was fired after just 16 games in charge between Serie A and the Champions League.
Now Mazzarri has been appointed, raising a few eyebrows considering he is famous for the 3-5-2 or at most 3-4-1-2 formation, which he used at Napoli from 2009 to 2013.
However, according to Sky Sport Italia, Mazzarri has promised De Laurentiis that he will adopt the 4-3-3 formation in this second tenure at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The coach already hinted as much when speaking to the Corriere dello Sport a couple of weeks ago.
“I really admire the way Spalletti set Napoli out tactically. I was never able to use the 4-3-3 before, because I didn’t have the players suited to that system.”
Inheriting the reigning Champions of Italy, Mazzarri might get that opportunity at long last.
He had on occasion used a four-man defence at Cagliari in his most recent role, but that did not last long before reverting to type.