Sports

JUST IN: Napoli Sack Coach Mazzarri Ahead Of Barcelona Clash

Published

1 year ago

February 19, 2024

Walter Mazzarri has been sacked by Napoli to become the second man sent packing by the ailing Italian champions this season, Italian media reported on Monday.

The 62-year-old took charge in November after Rudi Garcia was dismissed but Napoli have since fallen to ninth in Serie A ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 clash with Barcelona.

Slovakia national team coach Francesco Calzona is set to be hired until the end of the season and will be in charge for the first-leg visit of Barca.

Calzona guided Slovakia to Euro 2024 but has a huge job on his hands as he returns to Napoli where he was an assistant during Luciano Spalletti’s trophy-less first season with the club.

Calzona will reportedly keep his job with Slovakia and bring with him Marek Hamsik, Napoli’s top all-time appearance maker who was also the first man to beat Diego Maradona’s scoring record for the club.

Napoli romped to a historic third Scudetto last term but since title-winning coach Spalletti stepped down in the close season, chaos has reigned in Naples.

Napoli are a whopping 27 points behind league leaders Inter Milan after winning just four of 12 league matches since Mazzarri took over, collecting 15 points.

That is even less than the 21 that Garcia managed from his 12 league matches in charge, a total that had Napoli fourth when the Frenchman was dismissed.

The chances of Napoli getting back into the top four and next season’s revamped Champions League are exceedingly slim, even if Italy wins a fifth spot.

Napoli are nine points behind both fourth-placed Atalanta and Bologna in fifth, and have shown little sign of being able to claw back that gap, failing to score in nine of Mazzarri’s matches in all competitions.

It is a disappointing end to Mazzarri’s brief second spell in charge of Napoli, after helping return southern Italy’s biggest club to the upper echelons of Italian football between 2009 and 2013.

Mazzarri guided Napoli to the 2012 Italian Cup, beating undefeated league champions Juventus in the final to win the club’s first trophy in over two decades.

He left in May 2013 after finishing second in Italy’s top flight with a thrilling team which boasted Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsík and Edinson Cavani in attack.

Sports

Former WWE Champion Hulk Hogan Is Dead

Published

1 day ago

July 24, 2025

Editor

Wrestling legend and movie star Hulk Hogan is dead.

Hulk Hogan was 71 years old.

TMZ Sports broke the news of his passing, saying he died in his home in Clearwater, Florida, early on Thursday..

The report said several police vehicles and EMTs were parked outside his home.

Hogan’s wife, Sky had a few weeks ago denied reports that he was in a coma.

She claimed that his heart was “strong” in the aftermath of recent surgeries.

Hogan was known for many professions but the most popular was wrestling.

He also starred in movies like Rocky III, No Hold Barred and Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

Sports

Pre-season: Why I Dropped Timber, Gabriel Magalhães From Arsenal Squad vs AC Milan – Arteta

Published

2 days ago

July 24, 2025

Editor

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has revealed why Gabriel Magalhães and Jurrien Timber were out of the squad for their 1-0 win over AC Milan on Wednesday night.

Bukoyo Saka’s lone strike was all the Gunners needed to beat the Italian side in Singapore on Wednesday.

Magalhães did not take part in the game due to a niggle, while Timber is yet to return to full training.

After the game the former Manchester City assistant coach said he did not involve the two defenders in the game to minimise risk ahead of the new season.

The Spaniard would not want to use players who are not fully fit.

He said via Football London, “With Jurrien he is still not there. He is still not fully training yet with us. Gabby had a little niggle the other day in training.”

He noted that Magalhães has been out so long hence the need to manage him.

Speaking about Saka, who had an injury layoff last season, Arteta said the winger is back to his best.

Sports

Transfer: Real Madrid Agree To Alonso’s Two Requests

Published

2 days ago

July 24, 2025

Editor

Real Madrid have agreed to their manager Xabi Alonso’s two requests amid the ongoing summer transfer window.

As reported by Madrid Zone, via Cadena SER, Alonso has informed Real Madrid that he wants Dani Ceballos to stay at the club beyond this summer transfer window.

The report added that Alonso also told Real Madrid not to sell any midfielder this summer, adding that the Los Blancos agreed to his request.

Recall that Ceballos has been linked with a move away from Santiago Bernabeu this summer.

The former Arsenal star has been linked with a move to Spanish La Liga side Real Betis this summer.

This comes after Luka Modric’s departure from the Los Blancos earlier this month.

Alonso is keen to strengthen his squad ahead of the new 2025/26 LaLiga campaign after their exit at the Club World Cup at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain some days ago.