Napoli have confirmed the appointment of Francesco Calzona as their new head coach as Walter Mazzarri leaves his post.
Calzona becomes the reigning Italian champions' third manager of the season after Rudi Garcia and Mazzarri, the latter of whom was hired to replace the ill-fated Garcia in the middle of November.
Mazzarri returned to the Naples hotseat with the fourth-most wins as a manager in the history of Serie A, but the 62-year-old's 17 matches in charge of the Partenopei this season have produced just six victories.
With just one success to show from their last four Serie A matches, the Partenopei - who stormed to the Scudetto unopposed in the 2022-23 campaign - are entrenched in mid-table obscurity in ninth place, a staggering 23 points behind leaders Inter Milan.
Napoli also have a nine-point gap to make up to Atalanta BC in the Champions League qualification spots, and their most recent top-flight showdown ended in a disappointing 1-1 home draw with Genoa on Saturday.
Mazzarri also oversaw eight defeats during his short-lived second reign, including an embarrassing 4-0 home loss to Frosinone in the Coppa Italia last 16, and Napoli averaged less than a goal per game under his wing.
Following reports earlier on Monday claiming that the 62-year-old was about to be given the boot, Napoli have now officially announced his departure and the appointment of Calzona as his successor.
Francesco Calzona is the new head coach of Napoli. Welcome, Francesco!
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) February 19, 2024
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/a2upWcjZJB
The 55-year-old Italian native already has experience on the Naples touchline, having served as assistant to Maurizio Sarri from 2015 to 2018, before working under Luciano Spalletti as a technical coach in the 2021-22 season.
Calzona departed Napoli for a second time at the end of that campaign to take charge of the Slovakia national team, whom he led to Euro 2024 with a second-placed finish in qualifying Group J behind Portugal.
Calzona is expected to remain in charge of Napoli until the end of the season, and the 55-year-old will continue his work with Slovakia, who will take on Belgium, Romania and a playoff winner in Euro 2024 Group E.
The Italian's appointment marks the first time since the 1997-98 campaign that Napoli have had three head coaches in a single season, as the Serie A champions struggle for stability in the post-Spalletti era.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis wished Mazzarri well in a social media post, writing on X: "I thank Walter Mazzarri, a friend of the De Laurentiis family and of Napoli, for having supported the team in a complex moment.
"He will remain in the hearts of the Neapolitans and of our family. Welcome back to Francesco Calzona, who has already worked with us both with Sarri and with Spalletti."
Calzona will experience a baptism of fire in the Napoli hotseat, as his first game in charge sees the Partenopei welcome Barcelona to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg.
Ben Knapton
