Walter Mazzarri has been appointed Napoli coach to replace Rudi Garcia, ANSA reported citing the club.

"Welcome back Walter," wrote Napoli Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis on X, formerly Twitter, hailing the return to the Serie A titleholders of the former midfielder as technical commissioner after ten years.

"Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli has decided to revoke the appointment of Mr Rudi Garcia as head coach of the first team.

We would like to thank him and his staff for their collaboration to date," read a statement published on the club's website.

On Monday media reported that former Napoli coach Garcia was set for the team's poor form continued on Sunday with a 1-0 home defeat to 17th-placed Empoli, which leaves them 10 points behind leaders Inter in fourth place.

De Laurentiis on Monday travelled from Naples to Rome to work at his Filmauro offices on two fronts - closing an agreement for Frenchman Garcia's dismissal and finding a replacement, according to the sources.

Garcia, who replaced Luciano Spalletti at the end of last season, had a two-year contract but the agreement featured a clause making it possible for him to be fired with the payment of just one annual salary of about 2.8 million euros, the sources said.

Mazzarri coached Napoli from 2009 until 2013, before moving to the benches of Inter, Watford, Torino and Cagliari.

He has a contract for seven months, until June.