Anti-star Maurizio Sarri living la dolce vita at Napoli

When Rafa Benitez quit Naples for Madrid last summer, everyone naturally focused on how he would fare in his dream job. As for his replacement at Napoli, Maurizio Sarri, the most usual reaction was “who?”

Every so often Italian football throws up a manager who seemingly comes from nowhere to take charge of a big club. Massimo Allegri was largely unknown until he went to Milan and won the title before going on to take Juventus to the final of the Champions League. But even by Italian standards Maurizio Sarri’s career is unusual.

Until last summer he was in charge at Empoli, a small club from a small town mid-way between Florence and Pisa. When he took over they had four points from their first nine games — and that was in Serie B. The following season they won promotion and even more remarkably they managed to stay in the top flight, with the smallest wage bill and the least well-paid manager.