Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri does not think Andre Villas-Boas' sacking will leave Chelsea at a disadvantage for their Champions League tie.
Mazzarri sorry for Villas-Boas as he looks ahead to European tie
Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri has expressed sympathy for Andre Villas-Boas but does not think his sacking will leave Chelsea at a disadvantage for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League tie.
The Blues must overturn a 3-1 deficit when Napoli travel to Stamford Bridge a week on Wednesday if they are to reach the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition.
However, there will be a new man for Mazzarri to pit his wits against after Villas-Boas was dismissed over the weekend after less than a season at the helm.
Mazzarri got on well with the deposed Chelsea manager when they met at the first leg in Naples and felt no happiness when he heard news of his departure.
While Chelsea will have to regroup quickly to prepare for the next meeting, Mazzarri thinks it may also be harder for Napoli as they must face a team that could approach things very differently under a new boss.
Sad
"As a colleague, I'm always sad when coaches are sacked," he told
Sky Sport Italia.
"Besides, I talked with Villas-Boas before the first leg's match and we established a good relationship.
"For us it is not an advantage in view of the second match, because we knew how Chelsea played and now it's going to change something."
Roberto Di Matteo has been named caretaker manager of Chelsea and is set to take charge against Napoli, with a number of high-profile names linked with becoming Villas-Boas' permanent successor.
