When Napoli announced the appointment of Maurizio Sarri in June 2015, many were skeptical on whether he could turnaround the Partenopei’s fortunes.
After missing out on the Champions League for two consecutive seasons, Sarri’s rejuvenated Napoli remains on track to qualify for the Champions League and is the sole title challenger to Juventus.
Rafa Benitez’s time at Napoli can be summarised as a disappointment given the lofty expectations placed upon the Spaniard. After replacing Walter Mazzarri who guided Napoli to second place, Benitez’s two-year stint resulted in third and fifth placed finishes respectively.
Coppa Italia and Supercoppa triumphs did not outweigh the failure to qualify for the Champions League. The match between Empoli and Napoli towards the end of last season demonstrated Sarri’s tactical dexterity as he thoroughly outclassed Benitez and pounced on Napoli’s defensive frailties in a 4-2 victory for the Tuscans.
Sarri’s ascension to manage one of Italy’s largest clubs did not follow the conventional pathway. An amateur footballer and former banker, the Naples native began coaching in 1990 and proceeded on a journey through numerous provincial Italian clubs. His appointment to coach Napoli is his 18th job.
The proactive and high tempo football of Sarri’s Empoli saw them play some of the most entertaining football in Italy. With the lowest wage bill in Serie A (€11m), the Tuscan side managed to exceed expectations by finishing 15th and avoiding relegation.
Inefficiency in the final third to kill off games impeded a finish higher up the table as they recorded a league record 18 draws. Former Middlesbrough striker, Massimo Maccarone, well into his twilight years, was the club’s top scorer. Empoli averaged 51.4 per cent possession during the 2014-15 season, a rare occurrence for a promoted side without the financial wherewithal to attract more talented players.
Sarri’s Napoli adventure began with the same 4-3-1-2 formation used during his Empoli stint. He brought with him Mirko Valdifiori to play as the deep lying playmaker (regista) and Elseid Hysaj at right back. Employing such a narrow formation when Napoli possessed talented attackers out wide in the form of Jose Callejon, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens was rather peculiar.
Callejon was tasked with playing as a support striker alongside Gonzalo Higuain, an unfamiliar position that restricted one of his most valuable qualities, his diagonal runs off the right flank in behind the defence.
Insigne was used behind the strikers as the trequartista. Napoli was effective in scoring goals, but the narrow formation was exposed defensively, with opponents capitalising on the large amount of space out wide.
During the first three games of the season, Napoli earned two points and conceded six goals, as the criticism for Sarri began to escalate.
Sarri switched to a 4-3-3 formation a few days later for the Europa League game against Club Brugge. Insigne and Callejon were moved to the left and right wings while Valdifiori was dropped for the more mobile and effective Jorginho.
Jorginho is currently averaging a 100 passes per match, the highest amount for any player in Europe’s top five leagues. A 5-0 victory over Brugge was followed by another 5-0 win over Lazio a few days later.
Sarri’s tactical switch had corrected the imbalance in his side by providing better protection for his fullbacks and Napoli’s great run towards the a title challenge had begun.
Marek Hamsik’s new role has also been crucial to Napoli’s turnaround. The Slovakian has transformed from being an attacking midfielder supporting the striker(s) to a deeper role on the left side of the central three. Napoli’s captain has sacrificed playing higher up the pitch to be more involved in general play and the team’s driving force from deep, committing opposition players to create space for his teammates while also being capable of playing penetrative balls to the front three
The numbers speak for themselves. Under Sarri, Napoli are averaging 58.8 per cent possession compared to last season’s 54.1 per cent. They are scoring more goals (2.07 per game compared to 1.84), and most importantly have gone from having the 12th best defence in the league to the second best (0.82 goals compared to 1.42). After a difficult February, where a relatively thin squad (Napoli’s wage bill is €74m compared to Juventus’ €124m) was stretched by European fixtures, the Partenopei can now focus entirely on the league.
With ten games remaining and trailing Juventus by three points, Sarri’s men still have a shot at the title. Even if they come up short, a second placed finish and guaranteed Champions League football would still be an overwhelming success, in contrast to the relative underachievement of Benitez’s reign.
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