Napoli manager Rudi Garcia seems to have lost the confidence of the Serie A champions as reports indicate that he could be replaced soon.
The Frenchman was appointed as successor to Luciano Spaletti who left the role after leading Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years. A fallout between the Italian manager and the club’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis led to his exit despite his will to continue.
Garcia’s appointment started on a shaky note. A number of slip ups from the manager and his tactics in pre-season were excused but have carried on into the season. A couple of his substitutions have been questioned by pundits and fans with the latest ones against Fiorentina causing a storm.
The game ended in a home loss for the Partenopei and the reactions in the club’s boardroom were not savoury according to reports. Garcia’s replacement is now being contemplated and a number of targets have emerged.
Former Olympique Marseille manager Igor Tudor and former River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardi are reportedly being considered as replacements for Garcia. The most surprising name, however, is Graham Potter, formerly of Chelsea.
The Englishman was highly rated while he managed Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League and was considered to be fit for many top jobs. He ended up at Chelsea in the 2022/23 season after the club let go of Thomas Tuchel. However, he did not deliver to expectations while at Stamford Bridge, winning only 12 of his 31 games in charge.
He has been out of a job since being sacked by the Blues and now, his name has popped up as a surprise candidate for Napoli’s managerial position.
Tudor and Gallardo, Potter’s competition for the role, are both linked with other jobs. This is the first time that Potter has been linked to any high profile jobs since leaving Chelsea early this year, making him a prime candidate for the role.
Garcia, however, will not be replaced so suddenly despite his shaky start. He has racked up 14 points this season so far and has lost two games to keep Napoli in fifth, far from the title challenge.
With the October international break, he has the opportunity to brush up his tactics and help restore Napoli to the title challenge.
