The complicated start of the Italian team, -7 from the top after 8 days, put the French coach’s bench at risk. Here’s who could replace him in the event of his dismissal
“I would never want to be the one who comes next. Better to be the one who comes after the one who comes after.” It’s not a tongue twister but a saying that goes a long way in American sports. It means that it is never easy to take the place of someone who has done very well before you. Preferable to send someone else into trouble, and then take over from the bad guy. Luciano Spalletti led Napoli to their first tricolor in 33 years. Replacing it wouldn’t have been easy for anyone. Rudi Garcia is finding the role particularly indigestible: two knockouts in 8 games and -7 from the top when one year on the eighth day the Neapolitans led undefeated with 20 points. De Laurentiis’ anxiety is causing the names of possible replacements to emerge if the ax falls on the French coach.
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Antonio count
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The dream is him, Antonio Conte. But it seems like an almost unattainable goal. At Tottenham the former coach pocketed around 9 million net per season. Prohibitive figure, unless Conte decides to give it up and settle for much less for a project as intriguing as that of the Azzurri.
Igor Tudor
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The fact that the coach, formerly of Verona and Udinese, prefers a three-man defense no longer seems to be a problem, as De Laurentiis made clear. A strong and ambitious man, with Juventus in his heart, the 45-year-old Croatian would be a perfect profile to shake up the environment. Last year he brought Marseille back to the Champions League.
Marcelo Gallardo
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And then there is the outsider, the less known and perhaps even less popular name, but still intriguing, that of Marcelo Daniel Gallardo, former star and also former manager of River Plate. Since last summer he has been without the bench.
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