Ancelotti sacked by Napoli despite Champions League progression

Carlo Ancelotti was sacked as Napoli manager hours after his side beat Genk 4-0 to advance to the Champions League knockout stage.

Carlo Ancelotti was sacked hours after Napoli beat Genk 4-0 at home to end a nine-match winless run.

Carlo Ancelotti has been sacked by Napoli despite steering the Serie A club into the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Napoli beat Genk 4-0 at home on Tuesday to end a run of nine games without a victory in all competitions, securing second place in Group E behind Liverpool.

Rumours that Ancelotti was set to depart the Stadio San Paolo after just over 18 months in the role have been growing in Italy, with suggestions ex-Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso has already been lined up as his replacement.

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After the Genk win, Ancelotti indicated he would not be resigning from his post but said he would be holding talks with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis over his future.

Napoli announced Ancelotti's departure in a short statement posted on social media just hours later.

The statement said: "Napoli has decided to revoke the role of technical manager of the first team from Mr Carlo Ancelotti. 

"The relations of friendship, esteem and mutual respect between the company, its president Aurelio De Laurentiis and Carlo Ancelotti remain intact."

SSC Napoli has taken the decision to part ways with first-team coach Carlo Ancelotti.
The friendship and mutual respect between the club, President Aurelio De Laurentiis and Carlo Ancelotti remain intact.

— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) December 10, 2019

 

Speaking at a news conference after the Genk win, Ancelotti said of his future: "As of today, I'm still on the bench and I hope I will be on it for the next game too.

"I have no decisions to take, no assessment to make, except for the one with the president, who will decide, based on his indications, whether we can go forward or not. There's not much else to discuss.

"The fact that I am at risk is absolutely normal, it's part of this world. The team, as you [the media] have written many times, has had a negative performance in the league.

"Nothing to complain about what we did in the Champions League, but what we did in the league was - in light of our path in the Champions League - insufficient."

Ancelotti, a three-time winner of the Champions League as a coach, has now been sacked by his last three clubs having previously been fired by both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

The 60-year-old has been linked with a return to the Premier League having coached Chelsea to the title in 2009-10.

Ancelotti is reportedly of interest to both Arsenal and Everton, who have sacked Unai Emery and Marco Silva respectively within the last two weeks.

Napoli finished second in the Serie A table last term, 11 points behind champion Juventus, but is seventh this term after a poor run of form.