Massimiliano Allegri has prevailed in the two-man race with Vincenzo Italiano and will become the new Napoli manager, pending the formalities of his Milan exit. The coach will quickly land on his feet, despite the Rossoneri’s stunning second-half downfall.
According to Alfredo Pedullà, the Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis decided on Thursday evening that the veteran would be the choice. The patron didn’t totally like his competitor’s behavior. He and his entourage leaked the news of a meeting in Rome and bided their time ahead of a summit with Bologna, even though they knew the Rossoblù wouldn’t have stood in their way. In fact, he’s leaving even though he won’t land in Campania.
Allegri would have likely been appointed by Napoli last year already, hadn’t Antonio Conte changed his mind at the 11th hour. The same transition happened 12 years ago at Juventus. Following his arrival, the Azzurri will step up their efforts for Mario Gila and wait in the wings to see whether Adrien Rabiot will stay at Milan.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, director Giovanni Manna was instrumental in swaying the owner. The duo worked together at Juventus. The boss will ink a two-year deal and earn about €4.5/5M annually.
It’s a bit disappointing that they are playing it safe again rather than going with an emerging tactician with a bubbly style. It’s a bold call considering how the season ended and the fan base’s opposition. Still, they weren’t exactly high-flying under Conte, and they do have a star-studded squad that doesn’t need a lot of coaching. Still, some pizzazz and pristine Xs and Os will be necessary to really compete with Inter, and he has struggled there in recent years.
