Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is reportedly thinking about hiring Stefano Pioli after his expected departure from Milan in the summer.
Pressure has continued to mount on the 58-year-old Italian coach over the course of this season, with the Rossoneri falling far behind in the title race and crashing out of the Champions League, results that have left a fanbase dejected for the second half of the season.
Despite having a contract to June 2025, Pioli is widely expected to be replaced at Milan in the summer, with possible replacements including Antonio Conte and Julien Lopetegui.
As reported by Il Mattino via Calciomercato.com, De Laurentiis is a fan of Pioli and is thinking about hiring him to replace Walter Mazzarri in the summer. The Napoli president appreciates the coach’s flexibility, man-management skills and success in the Milan dugout.
Alternatives to Pioli for the Partenopei include Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini and Fiorentina’s Vincenzo Italiano, and De Laurentiis is in no rush to make a move following the Rudi Garcia incident.
Pioli does command a higher salary than Napoli are used to; the Milan coach currently earns around €4m net per season, more than Luciano Spalletti’s old wages of €2.8m or Rudi Garcia’s €3m net.
#Napoli, #Pioli scala le gerarchie: #DeLaurentiis ci pensa per la panchina https://t.co/69neGalKFi pic.twitter.com/euL6jL9kEI
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) February 9, 2024