Serie A side Napoli have hired Carlo Ancelotti to replace Maurizio Sarri. The Italian was sacked by Bayern Munich in September 2017. Ancelotti signed a three-year contract with the Neapolitan giants.
Ancelotti has won three Serie A titles as a player and one as a manager and Napoli will be hoping that he can be the first manager in 28 years to bring the Scudetto to Naples. In recent years Napoli have been knocking on the door of their first title in the modern era.
Napoli finished third overall in the 2016/17 Serie A season and finished second this season. Both of these seasons the league title went to Turin side Juventus. Last season, Italy had the most thrilling title race in Europe. Napoli are only a small step away from a league title and a man of Ancelotti’s experience may bridge the gap.
Carlo Ancelotti Hired by Napoli
Chelsea Connection
It is widely believed that Ancelotti’s predecessor in Naples will become the new Chelsea manager. Sarri is expected to replace fellow countryman Antonio Conte as manager of the Blues.
Carlo Ancelotti is also a former manager of Chelsea. The Italian won one Premier League title, an FA Cup as well as a community shield during his spell in West London. Sarri improved Napoli and increased the status and reputation during the two years he was in charge of Naples side. Here transformed the team from a defensive unit to an attacking and entertaining side.
Although Sarri never won a trophy at Napoli, he made the club more competitive in the league and should they go on to win a historic Scudetto in the foreseeable future, they will have Sarri to thank for laying down the foundations.
Carlo Ancelotti Brings a Winning Mentality
Carlo Ancelotti has won 20 trophies as manager. This includes three UEFA Champions League trophies with two different sides. Napoli have won two Coppa Italia’s and one Italian Supercoppa since 2011.
However, Scudetto is the trophy that they really want. Ancelotti has won league titles in four different countries and is a massive name in world football which should help attract top players.
The downside to the Ancelotti appointment from a Napoli perspective is that his recent record hasn’t been great. The Italian manager’s stock has fallen recently with him being sacked midway through this season at Bayern Munich. Considering that was his first job since taking a year sabbatical to undergo back surgery, there are questions whether he can still manager at the highest level.
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