Napoli Transfer Market: Allegri Faces Dismissal; High-Profile Names Among Possible Replacements
Massimiliano Allegri is at risk of being fired following Napoli’s loss to bottom-ranked Venezia. The Azzurri, who were defeated by Villarreal in the Champions League, also lost in Venice, and according to rumors, club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has completely lost patience with the Livorno-born coach.
The Neapolitans played a terrible game against a team that had lost every match so far this season: the odds on Allegri’s dismissal have plummeted at the bookmakers, and the Tuscan coach has already lost five matches since taking the helm. #Allegriout is trending on social media.
The man himself is trying not to make a big deal out of it: “Right now, worrying doesn’t help at all. We need to stay focused, do better, and turn things around in our favor. On Wednesday we lacked cohesion; today we stayed composed and created chances. But that’s part of soccer. It’s up to us to reverse this momentum.”
“I haven’t heard from De Laurentiis, but we just need to work with great determination to turn things around in the league and in the Champions League. There are times in soccer when things don’t go well: with great composure and professionalism, we have to step up, work hard, and try to score one more goal than the other team.”
Meanwhile, names of possible replacements are beginning to circulate: among the unemployed coaches most frequently mentioned in the rumors are Vincenzo Montella, Stefano Pioli, Rudi Garcia, and Thiago Motta. It’s hard to imagine a return for Antonio Conte, or a top-tier foreign coach like Arne Slot, Didier Deschamps, or even Pep Guardiola.
