3 reasons why Napoli appointed Carlo Ancelotti 

Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti assured fans he wants to “build on” the team put together by Maurizio Sarri and claimed he will have a strong connection with the clubs loyal fan base.

The tactician celebrated his birthday this weekend and is gearing up to begin the season at the Stadio San Paolo. After spending nine years plying his trade in England, France, Spain and Germany, Ancelotti is finally back in Italy, thrilled to be back in the Serie A and will look to put the horrors of Bayern Munich behind him and take charge of a strong Napoli side.

“I expect to do my best,” he told reporters at the World Cup and Economics 2018 event. I know the atmosphere and the Napoli fans very well because I was an opponent when Diego Maradona was playing there. It’s a team that has done well over the last two years and I want to build on that."

Carlo Ancelotti is the man who will take charge of the Naples side itching for silverware. The man brought it to guide the club to trophies has a great record of winning them and looks forward to being a compelling campaign.

---

#3 Marquee signing/retain players

Jorginho, Mertens and Hamsik are key players for Napoli

Since Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, Ancelotti was tipped to replace Giampiero Ventura - a dream that appeared to be realistic for Azzurri fans. But after the former Milan manager said he still preferred to coach at club level driving fans around the world into a frenzy.

However, the Reggiolo native unexpectedly signed a three-year deal with Napoli. The predictions and rumours looked like the 58-year-old would return to former clubs Juventus or Milan or another spell in the English Premier League to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal also seemed likely. But Napoli President De Laurentiis pulled off one of the greatest managerial signings in Italian and European football history.

For the Neapolitan fans, this signing is like an early Christmas gift, leading fans to paint the manager's face across streets and restaurants in Naples. Not only do the Partenopei now have one of the most decorated managers in Italian football, they boast one of the world’s elite tacticians. The fact that Ancelotti chose Napoli from his available choices speaks volumes about how much he craves a new and difficult challenge.

With the appointment of Ancelotti, De Laurentiis has signed a marquee manager and this might now settle the team’s core players like Marek Hamsik, Jorginho, Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Mertens. If the club can retain these players and reject the transfer temptations and continue for another season or two Napoli could surprise many in the next few years.

#2 Napoli's European dream

Could Ancelotti guide the club to a European title?

While Napoli doesn’t have the same financial might as Juventus, Inter, Milan or Roma, Ancelotti will be capable of utilising his name and successful coaching legacy to attract more talent. Introducing more quality to the Azzurri’s squad and bench will act as a benefit to the club’s rotational system.

Ancelotti’s past teams have played beautiful football, but have also been capable of playing a balanced style of attack and defence that helped claim a number of trophies.

The challenges that now confront Ancelotti seem to be how generous De Laurentiis will be with his wallet, and how quickly the Napoli players can adapt to the new manager’s playing style. The former PSG coach is known to be tactically flexible, meaning that he could maintain Napoli’s regular 4-3-3 formation and allow the players to have more freedom in their desired positions.

While the first concern will be to break Juve's league run, a Champions League run-in cannot be ruled out as well for the club, who look settled and sharp, heading into the next season under the new manager.

#1 Break Juve's league dominance

Juventus Board of Directors Pose With 7th Scudetto Commemoration Shirt

Ancelotti’s return indicates how Neapolitan football has reached new heights, but it highlights how Calcio now possesses one of the most accomplished managers in world football. Just his name will entice more neutral football fans to watch Serie A and his presence around the club could help Napoli break Juve's league dominance.

For the Italian mastermind to join Napoli for three years, De Laurentiis successfully convinced the 58-year-old to commit to the club’s working project. This is clearly a mission to establish a competitive organisation in Italy's south to challenge the northern clubs.

After Sarri’s spell free-flowing attacking football over the last three Serie A seasons that saw Napoli score over 250 goals, sports media from around the globe dubbed it as ‘the most attractive brand of football.’ That being said, as much as it was entertaining seeing the players rack up the goals, it didn’t win them any domestic trophies.

Ancelotti will now look to conquer Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus, who recently won their seventh consecutive Scudetto. The last team that won the Serie A before the Bianconeri’s supremacy was Milan in 2011, and ironically it was Allegri who won that title with the Rossoneri.

Ancelotti could be the man to break the 28-year-old league duck and bring the Scudetto back to the City of Naples.