The 1-1 draw with Genoa was the final straw for many Napoli reporters, as several different pundits and papers called for Walter Mazzarri to be sacked. ‘This team has no ideas.’
Although he continues to insist that they can still secure a top four finish and qualify for the Champions League, their form has been shocking.
Since taking over from Rudi Garcia, Mazzarri has overseen six wins, three draws and eight defeats in all competition, an average of 1.24 points per game.
When Garcia was fired on November 14, he had eight victories, four stalemates and four losses, averaging 1.75 points per game.
“His press conference was horrifying, I can hear the sound of hands grasping at straws,” wrote journalist Umberto Chiariello via Tuttomercatoweb.
“I have just two words: Go home! And to those who say we don’t know what we’re going to get, I reply, it can’t be worse than this…”
This Napoli team is a world away from the one that dominated the Scudetto race last season and also reached the Champions League quarter-final under Luciano Spalletti.
“Players lack character and are lost in a tempest that was created by the failed evaluation of two coaches who have lost the meaning of modern football, which is made of preparation and tactics. How disappointing!” wrote CalcioNapoli reporter Carlo Alvino.
It was pointed out by Paolo Del Genoa that the squad itself has not changed much, other than selling Kim Min-jae to Bayern Munich, but President Aurelio De Laurentiis still had to shoulder the blame.
“People blame De Laurentiis for many things, but the reality is that more than Kim or the transfer strategy, what’s missing is a style of football, because he got the two coaches wrong.”
Napoli fought their way back from the Morten Frendrup goal and equalised late on with substitute Cyril Ngonge off the bench.
“The point must not disguise the enormous problems that were evident, as Napoli are now just individual talents and Ngonge had a positive impact. Mazzarri’s Napoli have no ideas and the jeers of the Stadio Maradona crowd are right,” added journalist Salvatore Biazzo.
I numeri del Napoli in campionato con Garcia e Mazzarri: il francese ha raccolto 6 punti in più 📈
Dopo il suo esonero gli azzurri sono crollati dal quarto al nono posto 🤯#NapoliGenoa pic.twitter.com/bVkffNsAc9
— GOAL Italia (@GoalItalia) February 17, 2024
Luciano was smart to run