Jose Mourinho is set to meet Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis this week to discuss his possible appointment, a move that makes perfect sense for the Special One.
The 60-year-old Portuguese coach reportedly isn’t ready to leave Europe just yet, rejecting a lucrative offer from Al-Shabab, and his priority is to stay within Serie A following his recent sacking from Roma.
The Times reported on the weekend that Mourinho would meet with De Laurentiis this week in order to discuss the idea of his immediate appointment, taking over from short-term custodian Walter Mazzarri.
This move makes complete sense for all parties. Starting with Mourinho, there’s nothing the Portuguese coach loves more than a fiery, passionate fan base, something that obviously comes attached to Napoli.
The Special One also enjoys setting up an ‘us vs the world’ narrative in his teams, and considering the local context of the club, they’re perfectly suited to taking on the fight with a strong siege mentality, something clearly lacking under Rudi Garcia and Mazzarri.
Mourinho would also find greater financial resources at Napoli compared to Roma, allowing him to bring in stronger reinforcements to fight on multiple fronts, something he’s still clearly capable of in the dugout.
The Portuguese coach’s arrival would also come as a perfect solution for De Laurentiis and Napoli, who have been in a state of flux since Luciano Spalletti’s departure at the end of last season.
Mourinho is a coach capable of filling stadiums, something he was doing regular at the Stadio Olimpico, and his role at the club would likely convince the fans to flock back to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
His presence would also attract star players to the Campania capital, something seen with the transfers of Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku. With Victor Osimhen likely to be out the door soon enough, Mourinho could be the right man to help bring in some sufficient replacements.
Furthermore, the 60-year-old’s arrival would take off a hefty amount of pressure on De Laurentiis, who has again become a figure of frustration and ridicule amongst supporters following his decisions over the last six months.
Considering all of the above then, it’s hard to imagine reasons why Mourinho shouldn’t become the next Napoli coach, allowing them to kickstart a new journey in the second half of this season rather than waiting to replace Mazzarri in the summer, essentially writing off this campaign.