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Following a run of torrid results, Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has reportedly lost his credibility in the eyes of his employers.
Today’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Napoli’s failure in qualifying for the next season’s Champions League could ensure Spalletti’s by from Napoli at the end of the 2021/22 season, with Gian Piero Gasperini being considered one of the leading names to replace the former Inter boss.
At the start of this month, it was thought that Spalletti and his men would push both Milan sides for the Scudetto this season. But having lost to Fiorentina and Empoli and dropped two points against Roma in their last three league fixtures, the Parthenopeans are now on the cusp of missing out on a top-four finish. Should they fail to finish inside the top four, the Naples-based side would lose their opportunity to play in the Champions League next season.
Thanks to Juventus’ 2-1 win over Sassuolo, the gap between third-placed Napoli and the Old Lady has come down to just one point. Roma, having enjoyed a good run of form recently, are nine points behind Napoli, with four games left to play into the 2021/22 season.
As per the report, Aurelio De Laurentiis has tried to get Gasperini on board twice but has seen no success. Although Spalletti’c current contract is bound to keep him at Naples until June 2024, an early exit could be possible, provided what De Laurentiis makes of the coach’s performance after the ongoing campaign.
