3 managers who can replace Rudi Garcia at Napoli
Seria A Champions Napoli had a tough start to the season under new manager Rudi Garcia. They are currently seven points behind table-toppers AC Milan and are currently fifth in the Serie A table.
According to Football Italia, Napoli fans were unhappy with Rudi Garica's tactics in the 1-3 loss against Fiorentina when he substituted their star striker Victor Osimhen in the 77th minute when the team was trailing 1-2. The manager has thus been subject to immense fan backlash due to Napoli's performances recently.
With Rudi Garcia's future as Napoli's manager hanging by a thread, here are the three managers who can replace Rudi Garcia at Napoli:
#3 Igor Tudor
Igor Tudor is a Croatian coach who has previous managed the likes of Hellas Verona and Marseille. Tudor was the assistant coach of Juventus under Andrea Pirlo when they won the Coppa Italia in 2020. He then took over Hellas Verona in the 2021–22 season.
He exceeded all expectations by finishing ninth in Serie A. Tudor's Verona side played progressive counter-pressing football and scored 65 goals in the 2021–22 Seria A season.
Tudor managed Marseille last season and performed exceptionally well, exceeding expectations again by finishing third in Ligue 1. Marseille played an attractive brand of football under him as well, scoring 67 goals in 38 games.
He is tactically flexible and deploys several formations, and his teams focus on winning the ball higher up the pitch and initiating attacks quickly. Along with his knowledge of Italian football, he also has the experience of coaching a big club like Marseille. Tudor left the club at the end of last season and is currently a free agent. According to Calciomercato.com, the Croatian is one of the names being considered by the Italian club's hierarchy to replace Rudi Garcia.
#2 Marcelo Gallardo
Marcelo Gallardo is a legendary Argentine coach and the most successful manager in River Plate's history. In his eight years in charge, he won 14 trophies with River Plate and led them to two Copa Libertadores titles.
He completely transformed River Plate and has groomed World Cup-winning players like Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez. Gallardo also won the South American Coach of the Year award three years in a row in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
The 47-year-old plays possession-based, high-press attacking football. He focuses on maintaining possession of the ball and pressing higher up the pitch to win back the ball quickly. He is tactically astute and changes formations according to the team's needs.
Gallardo left River Plate last season after eight seasons in charge of the club. He was linked with several managerial jobs in Europe, but none of them have materialized. Calciomercato.com have reported that Marcelo Gallardo is also among the names being considered by the Napoli higher-ups.
#1 Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte is one of the most successful managers and has won many accolades in the last decade. Conte has won the Premier League, the FA Cup with Chelsea, and Serie A with Juventus and Inter Milan. He was unable to win a trophy at Tottenham Hotspur, however, he managed to earn Champions League qualification by finishing in the top four.
Conte plays a back three and utilizes either the 3-5-2 or the 3-4-3 formation. In 2016–17, his title-winning Chelsea side played some brilliant football, scoring 85 and conceding just 33. Inter Milan also scored 89 goals and conceded just 35 goals when they won the Serie A under the Italian manager in 2020–21. Conte's teams are not only solid defensively, but they also score goals.
Antonio Conte has the stature and experience to manage a club like Napoli. Italian journalist Nicolo Schira has reported that Napoli is attempting to bring Antonio Conte to the club and believes that Conte is the ideal candidate to turn around the club's fortunes immediately.