SSC Napoli sacks Walter Mazzarri ahead of UCL clash against Barcelona

New Delhi [India], February 20 (ANI): Italian club, SSC Napoli, has sacked head coach Walter Mazzarri ahead of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) clash against FC Barcelona on Thursday.
According to GOAL.com, Napoli's president, Aurelio De Laurentiis on Monday sacked Mazzarri after he won just four of his 12 Serie A games and rumbled the Italian-based club to ninth place in the league standings.
"Walter Mazzarri is a friend of the De Laurentiis family and of Napoli. It is a painful farewell because he was extremely available in a moment of difficulty, but we must also consider that something more must be given to the Napoli fans. Now let's try with Calzona who has worked with [Maurizio] Sarri and [Luciano] Spalletti and knows 80% of the players. Let's give him help without putting obstacles in his way because we know that it will be difficult to prepare for a match against Barcelona who are always Barcelona. Tomorrow morning at 8:30am, Calzona will be here with his staff, then we will go to Castel Volturno where I will introduce him to the boys. [Marek] Hamsik was very intrigued to work for the team he loves and which has given him so much satisfaction," Laurentiis was quoted by Goal.com as saying.
Meanwhile, Italian manager Francesco Calzona took charge as the new head coach of Napoli until the end of the ongoing Serie A league. Calzona will also remain the manager of the Slovakia national team.

Francesco Calzona is the new head coach of Napoli. Welcome, Francesco!

💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/a2upWcjZJB

— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) February 19, 2024

Calzona's first match of his stint with Napoli will be against the Catalan-based club FC Barcelona at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in the first leg of their UCL Round of 16 clash. (ANI)