Napoli appoint ex-Spezia chief Mauro Meluso as new sporting director | OneFootball

Napoli have appointed former Spezia executive Mauro Meluso as the new sporting director.

The Partenopei have been actively looking for a sporting director following the departure of Cristiano Giuntoli to fellow Serie A rivals Juventus.

Former AC Milan director Ricky Massara appeared to be the top contender for the job, however, Napoli have gone with Meluso.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis formalised the appointment on Twitter. He wrote: “I am pleased to announce that Mauro Meluso is the new Sporting Director of Napoli. Welcome to our family and best wishes for your work! Aurelio De Laurentiis.”

Meluso has worked at clubs like Frosinone and Lecce; his recent stint was at Spezia as technical director for the 2020/21 season.

It’s another decision that will raise more eyebrows after Rudi Garcia’s appointment since Meluso has only worked at lower-tier clubs, and it is the first time he will be undertaking a job of such magnitude.

Meluso is apparently a downgrade for Giuntoli, and it remains to be seen how he will fare in his new venture.

Similarly, questions were raised upon the appointment of Garcia as Luciano Spalletti’s replacement when top managers like Luis Enrique and Christophe Galtier were available.

De Laurentiis has incurred criticism from fans with his controversial decisions at the management level, especially when Napoli are set to defend the Serie A title next season.

Napoli are in the market for a new defender due to Kim Min-jae’s imminent move to Bayern Munich.

Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Max Kilman and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Ko Itakura are among the names on the list of potential defensive targets.