With Rafael Benitez confirming on Thursday that he will leave Napoli following the final game of the season at the weekend, Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis is now on the look out for a new tactician to lead the club next season.
The Spaniard’s future has been an issue of speculation for some time, but having failed to qualify for the Champions league and being knocked out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage, the 56-year-old has decided to call time on his two year stay in Campania and is now the favourite to succeed Carlo Ancelotti on the Real Madrid bench.
Sky Sport Italia reports that there are several names in consideration for the vacant post he will leave behind, although it is acknowledged that De Laurentiis’s positioned is weakened by the club’s inability to provide any new coach with Champions League football.
Sampdoria’s Sinisa Mihajlovic remains the front runner, but Sevilla’s Unai Emery and Jurgen Klopp, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, are also in consideration, although Napoli will almost certainly face competition for the signatures of latter two. More homegrown options are believed to include Cesare Prandelli, Luciano Spalletti and Roberto Di Matteo, who was recently sacked by Schalke.
Benitez took over at the Stadio San Paolo in May 2013 and led the Partenopei to Coppa Italia success in his first season in charge.
