Rudi Garcia replaces Luciano Spalletti as Napoli's head coach

He has won the Ligue 1 with Lille

Rudi Garcia, the former Roma coach, has been hired by Napoli to succeed Luciano Spalletti. With a simple statement, the Partenopei have confirmed the Frenchman's employment on their official website and social media channels.

Garcia's contract's duration has not been made public by the Serie A champions.

In April, the 59-year-old left Al-Nassr FC after falling out with the players. He has a previous coaching background in Serie A, having worked with Roma from 2013 to 2016. In January 2016, Giallorossi fired him and replaced him with Spalletti.

Yet again, the opposite had occurred, despite the fact that the Certaldo-born coach had a year left on his contract of employment and had not been dismissed by Napoli.

With Garcia's selection, Aurelio De Laurentiis has found Spalletti's replacement after a protracted search. A different Frenchman, Christophe Galtier, was said to be the front-runner for the position on Thursday morning, according to reports in Italy and France.

Garcia managed Roma for 118 games, winning 61, losing 23, and drawing 34. At Olympique Marseille, Lyon, and Al-Nassr, where he spent the previous season, he continued his playing career.

He'll be attempting to follow in Spalletti's footsteps, who led Napoli to 90 points in the 2022–23 campaign.

Napoli's president announced the signing and said: 

"Aurelio De Laurentiis is pleased to announce that Rudi Garcia will be the new coach of Napoli. To him the most sincere welcome and a good luck wish."