3 Possible Destinations For Maurizio Sarri
Maurizio Sarri is one of the best managers available in the football market currently. After guiding Napoli to its second runners-up finish in the Serie A in three seasons, his time with the Partenopei has finally drawn to a close. The Scudetto race last season was closely contested, with the outcome uncertain till the penultimate week.
While the ending may have been same old-same old, Napoli played beautiful attacking football and consistently churned out performances of very high quality, in large part due to Sarri. He maximized the abilities of all the players available to him and using the same core group of players that Rafael Benitez had before him, transformed the team into one which challenged Juve's domination of Italian football.
However, the relations between him and Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis had turned sour in recent weeks, with De Laurentiis stating that "Time has run out" for Sarri and accusing him of being indecisive when extension talks were brought up. Napoli have now confirmed that they have parted ways with the chain-smoking tactician and have agreed a two year deal with Carlo Ancelotti instead.
Now, Maurizio Sarri has said that he is too emotionally attached to the Napoli faithful to manage immediately in Serie A again and prefers to go abroad.
While several clubs have been speculated to have been admirers of his work and talents, the biggest obstacle in signing him is the €8 million release clause that will have to be activated by other clubs wishing to acquire his services.
As expected, several clubs are keeping tabs on his situation and keenly awaiting a chance to pounce on his availability.
Here is a look at three clubs he could be heading to next:
#3 Tottenham Hotspur F.C
Pochettino has, over the course of his tenure, led Tottenham from strength to strength. He has overseen the assembly of a supremely skilled and talented young side brimming with potential. They have finished as runners-up once in recent years and will be moving to a new stadium this summer - expectations are at an all-time high.
All that is left for them is to lift silverware for the first time since 2008, however, despite having everything going to them, they have been unable to take the final step and win that elusive trophy. They have come very close just to bow out on a number of occasions- like the FA Cup semi-final when they lost to Manchester United.
After the match, Pochettino dropped a HUGE hint that his time at White Hart Lane may be drawing to a close, stating that Tottenham has a good project that will continue to progress regardless of whether he remains in charge or not.
Analysts from across the length and breadth of Europe were quick to speculate that Tottenham could soon part ways with Pochettino and immediately honed onto the most ideal successor- Maurizio Sarri. Even Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is rumored to be keeping tabs on Sarri should Pochettino decide to leave.
However, a few days after making the statements, Pochettino reaffirmed his commitment to the Spurs though this does little to ward off teams like Real Madrid. Real supremo, Florentino Perez is said to be a big admirer of Pochettino's work in London and reports say that should Madrid part company with Zinedine Zidane, the Argentine is in pole position to succeed him.
While Sarri's chances of taking the helm at White Hart Lane depend largely on how the situation with Pochettino pans out, it is easy to see why he could be a very good fit. Tottenham plays an attacking brand of football that Sarri has always been a big advocate of as his Napoli team are known for their similarly flowing, marauding football philosophy, moreover, Tottenham is currently at a similar stage to the Napoli team that he coached.
Both teams play attacking football and have capable squads whose steady rise has led to heightened expectations for the future, both teams are also currently struggling to take the final step and actually win silverware.
Tottenham could well provide Sarri with a change of scene and a new, fresh assignment that actually allows him to pick off from the level that he left off at his previous club. If we also take into account the increased financial power that teams in England enjoy over the teams in Italy and how that would affect his options, if it happens, could well be a match made in heaven.