Napoli Fires Rudi Garcia and Brings Back Walter Mazzarri as Coach

Walter Mazzarri returns to Napoli after a decade. (Credit: Twitter)

Napoli added that Walter Mazzarri returns after a decade to replace Frenchman Garcia, who was dismissed for allowing the team to fall 10 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

Napoli announced the sacking of Rudi Garcia, the Italian champions, after a poor start to the season.

Napoli confirmed the return of Walter Mazzarri after a decade to replace the Frenchman Garcia.

The announcement of Mazzarri’s Napoli comeback initially came via owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.

The club confirmed Garcia’s sacking and owner Aurelio De Laurentiis welcomed back Walter on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Garcia, 59, was fired after Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Empoli.

Reports of his dismissal emerged almost immediately after that defeat.

Mazzarri, 62, helped return southern Italy’s biggest club to the upper echelons of Serie A in his first, four-year spell.

He guided Napoli to the 2012 Italian Cup, beating undefended league champions Juventus in the final to win the club’s first trophy in over two decades.

Mazzarri left in May 2013 after finishing second in Italy’s top flight with a thrilling team which boasted Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsík and Edinson Cavani in attack.

He took over at Inter Milan shortly afterward but was sacked in November that year.

Former Croatia defender Igor Tudor and left the long-troubled club “for professional and private reasons”.