Why I Think #1 Tifoso Americano – My Love for SSC Napoli!

So, you might be thinking the title of this article is arrogant. And, you would be absolutely right! But, trust me, the story you are about to read will leave no doubt in your mind which American loves Napoli like no other. Well, maybe of those who are not Napoletano! I grew up loving what many Americans love – football, basketball and baseball. But I fell in love with SSC Napoli and the tifosi who live and die for their calcio club!

My name in Daniel Bowen. This is my story of how it is possible for an American to fall so madly in love with a calcio club from what I consider to be the most beautiful city in the world. Napoletani are some of the most passionate people in the world, especially when it comes to cheering for their beloved Partenopei.

I enlisted in the US Navy back in 1991 and spent most of my active-duty career at different units in Italy. When I arrived for my first tour of duty at Allied Joint Forces Command in Napoli in 1993, the first few months were awful. I didn’t speak Italian and was having an extremely difficult time adjusting to the hustle and bustle of life in Napoli.

Now, I couldn’t write this without telling the story of how I met my Napoletana Queen, because without her, my love for Napoli would have never come to fruition. My supervisor at the time was engaged to a Napoletana lady and he introduced me to Melania Blele, my current wife of nearly 30 years. Our first encounter was rough as she pretended I wasn’t even in the room. But, a neighbor told me she loved Michael Jackson, and over the next few days, I found a Thriller CD and planned on bringing it to her. A day or so following, I was walking up the stairs in her apartment building with the CD tucked in my jacket. Not thinking I was going to see her that day, out of the blue, or maybe not, she ran into me in the stairwell. I initially planned for her neighbor to give it to her as I was timid in those days. But, I mustered up the courage to reach into my jacket and handed it to her. Next was the moment that I will never forget. She jumped into my arms like I was her long-lost brother or someone she hadn’t seen for 20 years. Her joy and that smile melted my heart. To make a long story short, we got married in 1995 and have two sons, Mario and Justin, 23 and 19 years old, respectively.

From 1995 to 2005, I literally couldn’t stand soccer. I recall all the times at Nonna’s on Sunday spending my day out on the balcony while the “fools” inside were cheering on a team in a game that ended 0-0. I couldn’t see how any fan of any sport could enjoy a game that could end with no points. I didn’t understand the game either having never played growing up.
I remember the reaction in Italy during the World Cup of 1994, when Roberto Baggio, who was so beloved, missed his penalty kick after a 0-0 score. He also missed a 25-yard strike in regular time which sailed over the bar. The majority of Italians still blame him for Italy losing that final.

But in 2005, the idolized Diego Armando Maradona returned to Napoli to make an appearance at San Paolo Stadium during an exhibition match. This was his first time back in Napoli since his controversial departure in 1992, after a legendary Napoli career ended with a 15-month suspension from soccer for cocaine use. My wife’s family dragged me to the San Paolo to witness a night I will never forget.

As we approached the stadium parking lot, we could see they were starting to close the gates. We barely made it before the gates were slammed shut. Meanwhile, there were adults swinging their children over the gate and asking others to catch them before they proceeded to climb over the gate themselves. It was all so mesmerizing to see, but nothing compared to the passionate emotion inside the stadium that night. As I said earlier, we barely made it, so obviously we got the worst seats in the stadium, and we couldn’t even see the field from where we were sitting below the upper deck seating.

Soon thereafter was the moment when I realized I had to become part of something so special by joining the tifosi in cheering for Napoli. From the moment Maradona began his trot around the field, waving to each and every fan, people everywhere were crying. Children, women, men, it didn’t matter the age. For one night, the San Paolo rekindled the emotions of the days when Maradona led Napoli to two domestic Scudetti and one UEFA Cup. Every single person was singing “Ho Visto Maradona” (or “I saw Maradona”). The roar of the singing and the raw emotion hooked me into starting to watch Napoli play.

In 2007, Napoli returned to Serie A after several years in lower division calcio, including a stint in Serie C1 from 2004-2006. I started attending almost every home game, starting in 2007, and had season tickets from 2009-2012. In 2009, I started coordinating ticket purchases to games for the US base community in Napoli. In 2012, myself and a few other die-hard fans started a fan club called Napoli Nation Fan Club.

I also arranged for my unit at the time to attend a home game vs Novara. Due to the generosity of SSC Napoli, my unit was gifted over 100 tickets and we enjoyed a 2-0 win. Luckily, I was given several seats in the VIP section for this game and was able to meet Ezequiel “El Pocho” Lavezzi, who was far and away my favorite player. I owe this experience to Mr. Edoardo De Laurentiis, Vice President of SSC Napoli, and Mr. Francesco Lettieri, who was a huge help in coordinating the event.

The ensuing 2012/13 season was an emotional ride for this Napoli fan! Napoli qualified for Champions League the year prior. The first game in the Champions League was against Chelsea, the eventual champions. I accompanied two busloads of fans from the base to this game and Napoli won 3-1. The roar of San Poalo screaming out “The Champions” left me awestruck, to say the least. My man Pocho scored in the 39th and 65th minute of this contest.

Another unforgettable match was the Napoli-Milan clash in 2009, when Napoli scored two late goals to tie the game 2-2 after being down by two goals for nearly 90 minutes. I was literally brought to tears for the first time as Napoli fan. Lastly, the match I have the fondest memory of is Napoli-Lecce in 2010, when Edinson “El Matador” Cavani scored in the 93rd minute to win 1-0.
These unforgettable matches will be stitched in my brain forever. But the relationships I have built throughout the years is what will always be the most special.

In 2012, when I founded Napoli Nation Fan Club, a group of close friends ensured that it would be successful and meet the objective of promoting community relations and supporting SSC Napoli. Loredana Avino, who I worked with from 2009-2013 was my “SSC Napoli Fan Mentor”. She was always available and her role in getting Napoli Nation on its feet was paramount. Then, there was Heather Gaffney-Hsu, who was a Napoli fan herself and a soccer mom to her son Spencer. It was her dedication to the club that greatly contributed to what Napoli Nation became and the fact it still exists today. My close friend Paolo Fluerant was the Vice President and he made it all work. And then, the money man, Nestor Nicholas ensured our books were 100% perfect. If not for these founding members, Napoli Nation would have never been established. There are several others who came onboard afterwards and kept Napoli Nation going strong.

I must also mention our “Ticket Man” Fabrizio Iacovino, who made sure no fan was left without a ticket for the game. Fabrizio would open his tabacchi shop at 10pm, when nobody else was open, to print out our tickets. Additionally, my friendship with Michele Vergara and Lello Capuano, who oversaw security at the stadium, is one that will last a lifetime. I am forever grateful to have met my Napulitan brothers.

Lastly, I never thought I would meet Mr. Edoardo De Laurentiis. But I have the honor of calling him my friend. Edo is the most humble and down to earth man anyone could ever know. He has treated my family, friends and I like only a good brother would.

Now, I said I am the #1 American Fan of SSC Napoli, but there is one dude out there who stands beside me in cheering for Napoli as an American and if I had to pick just one dude to celebrate a Scudetto with, other than my wife Melania and two boys, of course, it would be Alexander Romo! Alex has been a soccer fan all his life and when he was assigned to Joint Force Command in Napoli, he immediately started to get involved with Napoli Nation. He has attended more than 50 games himself. Alex is my Azzurro Frate!

As of today, I keep finding different ways to satisfy my hunger as a fan. For a short stint I joined a podcast called the Partenopei Nation Podcast, where I was able to express myself in a public forum on everything SSC Napoli. Unfortunately, the podcast only lasted a few weeks, but I have had the honor of being a guest on several podcasts, which has been a lot of fun.

COVID-19 put a damper on attending matches recently, but now that it seems we are passed the pandemic, at least from a sporting perspective, I have been able to attend numerous matches, both at the Maradona and on the road.