Napoli hires Rudi Garcia as coach to replace Luciano Spalletti
The well-traveled Garcia most recently coached Al Nassr, the Saudi Arabian team that Cristiano Ronaldo joined after the World Cup.
Published : Jun 16, 2023 08:18 IST , NAPLES, Italy - 1 MIN READ
FILE PHOTO: AS Roma coach Rudi Garcia giving instructions to his players during a Serie A match at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence, Italy, on October 25, 2015.
Italian champion Napoli hired Rudi Garcia as coach on Thursday to replace Luciano Spalletti, who said he needed to “take a year off” after helping the club end a 33-year Serie A title drought.
The well-traveled Garcia most recently coached Al Nassr, the Saudi Arabian team that Cristiano Ronaldo joined after the World Cup.
Garcia, a 59-year-old Frenchman, has also coached Roma, Marseille, Lyon and Lille.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis announced the hiring of Garcia in a short statement: “The president would like to give him a warm welcome and wish him the best of luck.”
The length of the contract was not specified.
Under Spalletti, Napoli this season won its first Serie A title since Maradona led the club to the 1987 and 1990 championships.
Afterward, the 64-year-old Spalletti said he needed a break: “I need to take a year off. I’m a bit tired.”