De Laurentiis explains painful decision to replace Mazzarri with Calzona hours before Barça clash

Napoli’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis has opened up about the difficult decision to part ways with Walter Mazzarri and bring in Francesco Calzona just before the crucial Champions League Round of 16 encounter against Barcelona.

De Laurentiis acknowledged the pain of parting with Mazzarri but emphasized the need to provide fans with “something more.”

Calzona, who previously served as an assistant to Maurizio Sarri and Luciano Spalletti at Napoli, was signed on a contract until the end of the season, making him Napoli’s third coach this season following Rudi Garcia and Mazzarri.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia on Monday night about the recent developments, De Laurentiis said, “Walter Mazzarri is a friend of the De Laurentiis family and, above all, he’s a friend of Napoli.

“It’s always painful to sack a friend and I have thanked him. He was available to come here when we were struggling, but we must consider that Napoli and Napoli fans always need something more, which we are trying to give them with Calzona.”

De Laurentiis on why he hired Calzona

“He worked with Sarri and Spalletti and already knows 80% of our players,” he remarked.

“Let’s welcome Calzona and try to help him with no disputes. Preparing for a tough game in 24 hours will be very difficult.

“He will come here with all his assistants tomorrow morning [Tuesday] and we’ll chat for a long time. Then we’ll go to Castel Volturno where I will introduce him to the team even if he knows many players.”

Napoli, the reigning Serie A champions are currently ninth in the league and will hosts Barcelona in the UCL round of 16 on Wednesday.