beIN SPORTS

By Adam Digby (@Adz77)

From the moment Aurelio De Laurentiis took control of then-bankrupt Napoli in August 2004, the film producer had appeared to be a man with a plan. Experienced Coach Edy Reja was the man first chosen to lead the club's resurrection, the wily old tactician lifting them out of Italian football's fourth tier and putting back on the right path.

Regularly playing in front of crowds that ranked among the largest in Italy – drawing over 51,000 on one occasion – Reja also implemented the three-man defence that would become the hallmark of this bright new era in Partenopei history. Returning to the top flight in 2007, they would even qualify for the Europa League at the first attempt, before an unexpected slump prompted another coaching change. 

Former AC Milan idol Roberto Donadoni arrived on the bench in March 2009, but he too would fail to deliver the tangible success De Laurentiis so sorely craved. Just six months later he too was relieved of his duties as Walter Mazzarri became the latest appointment, continuing Reja's use of the 3-4-2-1 formation and establishing Napoli as a force to be reckoned with. 

Inspired by the attacking trident of Marek Hamšík, Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi they took Serie A by storm, pushing Juventus close in 2012/13 and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time. The latter of that group would move on immediately, but it would Cavani who blossomed into the real star of the show, taking Italian football by storm after four largely unimpressive seasons with Palermo.

In Sicily, the Uruguayan was often deployed out wide, never scoring more than fifteen goals in a single campaign before his €12 million transfer to Napoli. It would be a move that transformed his career. He left Palermo will a tally of 34 goals in 109 appearances, but bagged just one fewer in his first year under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. That total included a hat-trick against Juventus and he was top scorer as the Partenopei lifted the Coppa Italia, the first trophy won by the club since Diego Maradona’s departure two decades earlier.

He would net 33 goals again in 2011/12 before weighing in with an incredible 38 just twelve months later, but that summer would see the club rocked by upheaval for the first time under De Laurentiis’ stewardship. Cavani was sold to Paris Saint-Germain for €64.5 million, a figure which made him the most expensive signing in French football history, while Mazzarri would also depart as he opted to join Inter.

Rafael Benitez was named the new boss, his European pedigree attracting the likes of Gonzalo Higuaín, José Callejón and Pepe Reina, but a more pragmatic approach failed to resolve the team’s defensive fragility. Like Mazzarri, the Spanish Coach would deliver the Coppa Italia, but two victories in that competition were scant reward for the substantial investment and diligent management De Laurentiis had brought to Napoli.

Missing out on Champions League football was a major blow for a club who, according to the Deloitte Football Money League, had become the fifteenth richest in the world. Much to the relief of their supporters, the underwhelming Benitez moved on to Real Madrid, and it was expected that another high-profile tactician would arrive.

Enter Maurizio Sarri.

Born in Naples but moving to Tuscany at a young age, he began a career in banking but would quit an extremely well-paid role in order to concentrate on his coaching duties in Italy’s lower leagues. Two years ago, he would reach Serie A for the first time, leading a surprising Empoli to a respectable finish before De Laurentiis identified him as the man to move Napoli forwards in 2015/16.

They would do just that, pushing Juventus all the way in the tightest title race in years. They would fall short as the campaign drew to a close, but like Cavani before him, Higuain had won the hearts of the Napoli faithful. The former Real Madrid striker had recorded tallies of 24 and 29 league goals in his first two seasons with the club, but nothing in his performances hinted at the player he would become under Sarri’s guidance.

The Serie A record of 35 goals had stood since 1949/50, AC Milan legend Gunnar Nordahl achieving something no striker had truly ever come close to matching. Yet last season Higuain was simply unstoppable, ending the campaign with 36 goals in just 35 appearances to become a truly beloved figure in the city that had come to worship him.

Yet like Cavani and Maradona, the Argentinian would leave just as his popularity reached fever pitch. Unlike those two former heroes however, Higuain would do the unthinkable and actually join Juventus, forever tainting his legacy with the San Paolo faithful. Never again will the old stadium welcome him, never again will his name be sung with the passion and pride of the entire southern town. Shirts were burned, hateful messages sent and yet Higuain was already talking about winning the Champions League with Juventus. 

Somehow, De Laurentiis and Napoli must find a way to continue without their prolific no.9. Polish international Arkadiusz Milik has already arrived, yet the number worn by both Cavani and his successor remains unoccupied, lending hope that the owner can once again deliver a star striker before the transfer window closes. 

Talk of a move for Mauro Icardi has lingered for a few weeks, the Inter striker appearing to be the perfect fit but – in light of Roberto Mancini’s sudden departure – it is unlikely that the Milanese giants would be willing to let their captain follow the Coach through the exit door. 

De Laurentiis has seemingly always had a plan for Napoli, and now more than ever, the club need him to deliver.