Napoli has hired former Italy manager Roberto Donadoni to be its new coach to replace Edy Reja, was fired Tuesday following a strong of defeats for the Serie A club.
The 45-year-old Donadoni, a former wing great for AC Milan and Italy, will be formally presented by the club on Wednesday.
In announcing Donadoni's appointment, Napoli management said the decision to let Reja go was ''very suffered considering his fundamental role over the past five years during which Napoli has risen from the third division to the first and qualified for the UEFA Cup''.
Donadoni has been without a job since he was replaced on the Italy bench by Marcello Lippi, after Italy was eliminated from Euro 2008 in the quarterfinal stage by Spain in a penalty shoot-out.
This marked a return for Lippi who stepped down after Italy won the 2006 World Cup in Germany and was replaced by Donadoni.
Donadoni was on the Italy bench for 23 matches, winning 13, drawing five and losing five.
His last Serie A coaching job was with the Tuscan side Livorno, which he quit after a series of clashes with the club owner, Aldo Spinelli.
Donadoni was a famously gifted winger for the great AC Milan side of 1986-1996 which picked up five scudetti and three Champions League.
He won 63 Italy caps, scoring five times.
Donadoni began his career with Atalanta and during a hiatus from AC Milan he also played in the United States for New York's Metrostars the
Donadoni was a star at two World Cups where Italy narrowly failed to win: Italia '90 when it lost a semi-final to Argentina on penalties, and 1994 when final penalties against Brazil left Baggio and Co one step short of the prize itself.
Donadoni began his coaching career at third division Lecco in 2001. He later graduated to Livorno, steering it out of Serie B.
Under his guidance, Livorno finished ninth in Serie A in 2004-2005.
His first match on the Napoli bench will be on Sunday against last-placed Reggina.
