5 replacements for Gian Piero Ventura as Italy manager

#3 Maurizio Sarri

Counting the teams better to watch than Napoli right now only takes on hand and that is thanks to Maurizio Sarri. The Partenopei are as strong as they have been for years domestically, and they are becoming a real threat in Serie A with swashbuckling style.

Last season, on the way to finishing third behind Juventus and Roma, they scored 94 goals. They were unbeaten in the league until earlier this month until Juve ended their run. La Vecchia Signora had also snatched top goalscorer Gonzalo Higuain in the summer of 2016, turning the Argentine from potential Napoli legend to instant traitor; that didn’t phase Sarri, though.

He transformed the side; they went from playing through Higuain to attacking with a pacey, energetic front three of Lorenzo Insigne, Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens as a false number nine. The Belgian netted 28 times last term and has caught the eye of Europe’s big boys.

Sarri has coached no fewer than 18 clubs during his career, working his way up through the ranks with no professional playing experience. He has always gone against the grain and doesn’t adhere to Italy’s stereotypical defensive preferences. The 58-year-old would certainly shake things up, that’s for sure.