Italian club Napoli have reportedly started the proces of replacing Luciano Spalletti as it is expected that the Serie A winning coach will be replaced this summer.
- Spalletti leaving Napoli
- Champions consider two top coaches
- Former coach also on the shortlist
What is the news?
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and Spalletti are reportedly not on speaking terms with each other, despite the coach winning the Serie A this season. Earlier there have been negotiations on a new contract for Spalletti, but it now seems that Napoli are preparing for life without the Italian coach. La Gazetta dello Sport have claimed that De Laurentiis has already made contact with the representatives of Antonio Conte and Luis Enrique. Both coaches are currently without an employer.
The backstory
The relationship between De Laurentiis and Spalletti has never been great, but the Napoli club president always kept faith in the 64-year-old Italian coach because of his performances on the pitch. Now that the Scudetto has been won, Spalletti recently openly announced that he could be in his final weeks at Napoli. These statements would not have done his relationship with De Laurentiis any good and it currently seems impossible that Spalletti will still be working for Napoli next season.
What next?
At the moment it seems that Italy is waiting for the official statement that Spalletti will leave Napoli. There is now a lot of speculation about the success coach’s successor, with the names of Conte and Enrique popping up the most. Alternatives for the two top candidates are Rafa Benitez, who already worked at Napoli and Atalanta coach Giampiero Gasperini. The Italian has been working wonders in Bergamo for years and would be open to a step towards Napoli.
