Serie A champions Napoli fire Garcia and hire Mazzarri | OneFootball

Italian champions Napoli have sacked head coach Rudi Garcia following the shock 1-0 defeat to Empoli on Sunday, with Walter Mazzarri already appointed as his replacement.

Garcia had only been in charge for 16 games following the summer departure of Luciano Spalletti.

The Partenopei came into the season off the back of a historic first title since 1990, but the club have failed to defend their crown with much aplomb so far this season.

That loss to 17th-placed Empoli was their third in six home games in Serie A and followed a draw with Bundesliga bottom side Union Berlin in the Champions League in midweek.

Former Inter, Watford and Cagliari coach Mazzarri – who previously coached Napoli between 2009 and 2013 – now returns to the club.

The 62-year-old has been out of work since leaving Cagliari in May 2022, and has been appointed ahead of Fabio Cannavaro and Igor Tudor, who were also linked with the Napoli job in recent days.