Napoli has terminated the contract of manager Walter Mazzarri after only three months and appointed Slovakia’s head coach, Francesco Calzona, as his replacement.
Mazzarri took over from Rudy Garcia in November but leaves Napoli with the Italian champions sitting in ninth place in Serie A.
Francesco Calzona, a 55-year-old Italian, previously served as an assistant at Napoli under Maurizio Sarri and Luciano Spalletti.
Calzona, who will also lead Slovakia at Euro 2024, has been appointed until the end of the season, according to the country’s FA. His existing contract with Slovakia extends until 2025 and would automatically prolong should they qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Aurelio de Laurentiis, the owner of Napoli, expressed gratitude to Mazzarri for his contributions during a challenging period.
Napoli is set to face Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.
“The Slovak Football Association is aware this is a non-standard decision that may cause concern among the public,” the governing body said.
“However, it also understands the exceptional relationship of Calzona to the club where he worked for a long time and wants to help him in the current difficult situation.
“Calzona has repeatedly declared that the main priority of his activity remains the Slovak national football team and its preparation for Euro 2024.”