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Giordano exclusive: Garcia didn't fit with Napoli; Italy must take Lazio striker Immobile to Euros

2023/24 has been a season to forget for a Napoli side who were supposed to be trying to defend their Scudetto title.

The shock departure of Luciano Spalletti who brought them to that title was followed by the appointment of Rudi Garcia and it just wasn't working before his sacking in November.

Speaking to Tribalfootball.com, Italian legend Bruno Giordano, who won the Scudetto with the Azzurri, told us why he felt it was a poor appointment by Napoli.

He said: "I think that it was a mistake by hiring Garcia in the summer not because Rudi is a bad coach, no he is a very good coach, but he had different ideas that were not compatible with the structure of the team. In a few months, he tried to change things and this led to problems on the team and created the fact that Napoli was not playing as they used to play last year."

Giordano also admitted that the season is over and it's too late for new manager Walter Mazzarri to get Napoli into the title race.

He said: “And now with Walter, I think the situation has changed, but despite this, I think this season has passed for Napoli. They can't win the title because Inter and Juventus don't wait for you to fix things.

“So, in my opinion the team will fight for the top 4 to make the Champions League next year."

Meanwhile, Ciro Immoblie was in world class form heading into Euro 2020 but a poor season so far for Lazio has had people question if he'll even make Italy's squad for this summer's European Championship.

Lazio great Giordano was a centre forward who earned 13 caps for Italy during his career, and he feels Immobile's current form should still see him make their Euro 2024 squad.

He said: “Ciro is a great goal scorer, the statistics show it well, and now he is having a bad spell, but I think it's normal during a striker's career to have these kinds of moments.

“I think that despite his difficulties Ciro can be part of Italy's squad for Euro 2024 but in the end, it depends only on him and what he does until the end."


- adapted by Harry Dunnett

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