Actually, Luciano Spalletti had declared after winning the championship with Napoli that he wanted to take a break due to mental fatigue. But now Italy’s federation appointed him as the new national coach.
“I need a break because I’m quite tired,” Luciano Spalletti had said at the end of May, shortly after winning the Serie A championship with Napoli. The 64-year-old had also clarified: “I don’t know if you can call it a sabbatical, but it will be a year without work. I will not coach Napoli or any other team.”
And his club, and above all Napoli patron Aurelio de Laurentiis, granted the request despite a contract until 2024. “Spalletti is a free man!” the club owner had told “Rai 3”. “When someone comes to you and says that he has done everything he could and an era of his life is over …”, the club owner said it had to be granted. “He told me that he would rather take a sabbatical. What are you doing then? Are you against it? No. He has given me a lot, I thank him. “
2.65 million exit clause
Now, just over two months later, came the big U-turn. For, as the Italian Football Federation officially announced this Friday evening, that Spalletti was appointed as the new national coach after the Roberto Mancini bang (sudden resignation as coach of the Squadra Azzurra despite recent power expansion). Contract until 2026 World Cup.
According to Italian media reports, Spalletti was already the clear favourite to succeed Mancini from the moment of his resignation – unsurprisingly point of contention with the apparently snubbed Neapolitans included.
There are said to have been intensive negotiations between Napoli and the FIGC (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio). The southern Italians apparently demanded a transfer fee of 2.65 million euros for the mastermind. This had been stipulated in the contract in case Spalletti took up a new coaching position at a club in the coming 2023/2024 season.
“His enthusiasm and expertise will be important “
It does not seem to be clear yet how this will be dealt with. According to reports, Spalletti could also have to pay the amount himself. Meanwhile, the Italian federation claims that this clause only applies if the coach moves to a club (rival) and not to a national association during his announced sabbatical.
“The national team needed a great coach and I am very happy that Luciano Spalletti has now taken over the leadership of the Azzurri,” federation head Gabriele Gravina was quoted as saying. “His enthusiasm and expertise will be fundamental to the challenges that await Italy in the coming months. “
His first tasks are imminent: at the beginning of September already, there are the important tasks in the European Championship qualifiers in Northern Macedonia (Saturday, 9 September, 20.45 hrs) and against Ukraine (Tuesday, 12 September, 20.45 hrs). The reigning title holders are currently only in third place in Group C behind the sovereign leaders England and Ukraine.
