Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis titillated the Italian football community earlier this week, hinting that the club’s next manager has a name beginning with the letter ‘M’.
Immediately the press went into overdrive, speculating that the replacement for sacked boss Walter Mazzarri will be none other than Roberto Mancini.
However, the lawyer of one particular Napoli legend says there is only one ‘M’ for the job: Maradona.
Lawyer Angelo Pisani, who looks after Diego Maradona’s affairs in Italy, says the Argentine great is the obvious choice to make a sensational return to management at the club that loves him most.
Maradona’s connection with Napoli and the city of Naples stems from his time at the club in the 1980s, when he led them to their only two Serie A titles, as well as Uefa Cup glory.
It was when Maradona was in his pomp, and the world has arguably never seena finer player than the one who turned Stadio San Paolo into a Serie A mecca.
"The only coach with a big M for Napoli is Diego Maradona," Pisani told Radio Italiana CRC.
Maradona’s status as a Napoli legend makes for excellent headlines, but it is debatable whether or not he is truly qualified to manage a club with real European ambitions like Napoli.
He has experienced mainly heartache as a manager, and so the lawyer concedes that Maradona would accept any kind of role at Napoli, like in the boardroom or even as some kind of glorified travelling mascot.
"He [Maradona] would be very happy for having the chance of returning to the club, maybe as a sports director or simply for being with the team in Europe," Pisani said.
"He would be suitable at any role. I don't know if De Laurentiis sees this as a possibility, but Diego would be the best representative of the city."