Serie A: crisis meeting in Naples, Rudi Garcia on departure

Naples is in crisis: after the home defeat against poorly ranked Empoli (1-0) on Sunday, the leaders of the reigning champion could quickly seal the fate of their coach, Rudi Garcia. Beaten by Empoli, 19th and penultimate in Serie A before this 12th day, Napoli have already conceded three defeats this season, four including their setback in the Champions League (3-2) against Real Madrid, all in their stadium Diego-Armando-Maradona. The reigning champion is left behind in the race for his own succession, since he is 4th and is eight points behind Juventus, leader pending Inter's match against Frosinone which, if successful, would push back Naples ten points!

In pouring rain, Viktor Kovalenko scored the only goal of the match in added time (90th 1) to the great amazement of the furious Neapolitan fans. Four days after the draw (1-1), already at home, in the Champions League against Union Berlin which remained on 12 defeats in a row, Garcia, who succeeded Luciano Spalletti in June, tried an electroshock which did not didn't work. He made four changes, notably leaving Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the bench, while his starting goalkeeper Alex Meret was injured during the warm-up and was replaced by Pierluigi Gollini.

But without Kvaratskhelia, nor Victor Osimhen, injured for three weeks, Napoli fared poorly against Empoli who created the only opportunity of the first period, a pivotal shot from Nicolo Cambiaghi (35th) diverted for a corner by Gollini . The entry of Kvaratskhelia in the 54th minute gave the Neapolitan fans hope, but the Georgian striker came up against the Empoli goalkeeper (60th, 79th and 89th).

As they were heading towards a draw that looked like a defeat, the Neapolitans were struck down by a thunderclap from Kovalenko, synonymous with disaster for the three-time Italian champion who has already lost almost as many matches this season (3) than during the entire last season (4). A month after an international break in October punctuated by rumors of Garcia's departure and his replacement by Antonio Conte, that of November promises to be very eventful in Naples. At the end of the meeting, neither Garcia nor any of his players appeared before the press.

Sitting in the stands, the omnipresent president-owner of Naples Aurelio De Laurentiis followed the meeting alongside former international Fabio Cannavaro, whose coaching career is slow to take off. Napoli's next match is scheduled for November 25 at Atalanta. That is in 13 days, which gives De Laurentiis ample time to make a revolution in his club.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the manager who went into the locker room to express his anger after the first period, did not meet Garcia after the match, but he called a crisis meeting in Rome with the main leaders of the club. For the sports daily which does not cite a source, Garcia will no longer be in charge of the team when it returns to training on Wednesday, without its internationals. In addition to the name of Cannavaro, the Italian press mentions to succeed Garcia those of Igor Tudor, without a club since his departure last June from Marseille, and of Walter Mazzarri who already coached the club between 2009 and 2013.