Persepolis eyes Italian Mazzarri for managerial role: Report
Italian head coach Walter Mazzarri is among the candidates to take over at the Iranian club Persepolis, according to Football 360.
A former manager in a number of Seire A clubs, as well as Premier League side Watford, Mazzarri, 62, has been without a job since being sacked by Napoli in February – in the aftermath a disappointing run of four wins in 17 outings across all competitions.
Mazzarri’s longest and most successful spell as a head coach also came with Napoli in the early 2010s, when he led his team to the 2011/12 Coppa Italia title before a runner-up spot in the league the following season.
The newly-crowned Persian Gulf Pro League champion is searching for a new manager after Brazilian interim coach Osmar Loss Vieira announced on Thursday that he would not extend his journey in the Iranian top flight as he wishes to stay close to his family in his home country.
A number two to his predecessor Yahya Golmohammadi, Osmar was promoted to the top job following the Iranian’s departure in January – much to the irritation of the Reds supporters, who were eager to welcome back their legendary coach Branko Ivankovic in pursuit of a seventh league crown in eight seasons.
Osmar eventually won the fans over thanks to a remarkable run of 12 wins in 15 league matches – suffering a single defeat in the process – which saw the Reds pip archrival Esteghlal to the title by one point.
A former coach of Iranian top-flight sides Malavan, Foolad, and San’at Naft, Dragan Skocic, who steered Iran to the 2022 World Cup before being replaced by Portuguese Carlos Queiroz for the finals in Qatar, emerged as the frontrunner for the Persepolis job last week but the negotiations have reportedly collapsed over the Croatian’s wage demand.