Manna Fully Operative at Napoli Following Juventus Exit

Juventus didn’t filibuster the departure of director Giovanni Manna, announcing his exit on Tuesday, and Napoli will formally confirm the hire soon. He was at their training center Castel Volturno for the first time later in the day. The up-and-coming exec will ink a long-term contract, La Gazzetta dello Sport informed.

The 35-year-old got his start as a team manager at Forlì and then in Switzerland, at Chiasso and Lugano, before obtaining apical positions. The Bianconeri poached him in 2019 as the head of their youth academy. He progressively rose through their ranks. He has helmed their U-23 team for a while and then managed the first team when their front office was wiped out by the ‘plusvalenze’ trial.

Manna has been the right-hand man of former Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli this season. He quickly seized the opportunity to branch out on his own. He had a year left on his deal with Juventus.

The exec had a long meeting with president Aurelio De Laurentiis and CEO Andrea Chiavelli on his first day on the job. They focused on the new coach. Such a decision comes before any transfer market-related matter.

Manna let it be known that he backed Antonio Conte for the Napoli bench. He’d be a lot more expensive than all the other candidates. They’d have to make an economic sacrifice get him. The new director also convened with Federico Pastorello, the agent of Alex Meret, whose future is uncertain.