“We’ll do everything to bring the Scudetto back to Napoli,” said Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis, as he concluded a press conference in May of 2022. No one believed him. Even Luciano Spalletti, sitting next to De Laurentiis at the announcement of the club’s upcoming retreat at Castel di Sangro, appeared to tense up as his boss uttered the “S” word and “Napoli” in the same sentence. After all, it had been 33 years since his club last won the Scudetto, and they needed a D10S to do it.
That was before the departures of Lorenzo Insigne (officially, after the winger signed a contract with Toronto FC in January), Dries Mertens, Kalidou Koulibaly, Fabián Ruiz and David Ospina. In a matter of months, Napoli lost its captain and its spine. The five regular starters, who collectively boasted over 1,400 appearances for gli Azzurri, were forced to choose between staying at Napoli or seeking more of the “vile currency.” In De Laurentiis’ eyes, they chose the latter.
After AC Milan won their first Scudetto in a decade, the Napoli owner was determined to lower the club’s wage bill. As he said in that now-infamous press conference, “the moment of illogical figures, with Milan winning the Scudetto with 40 million less salary than ours, means that we have gone out of whack.”
Amongst the replacements were a South Korean, who most recently plied his trade in Turkey, and a young Georgian, who took advantage of a right granted by FIFA allowing foreign players to vacate Russia. Though highly-rated, neither Kim Min-jae nor Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had any experience in a top-five European League.
By the start of the first retreat at Dimaro Folgarida in early July, “A16” was trending on social media. Also known as the Autostrada dei due Mari, the A16 is an Italian highway that connects Naples, on the Tyrrhenian coast, with Bari, on the Adriatic coast. Furious with how their club had been dismantled, Napoli fans wanted De Laurentiis to leave Napoli and go to Bari – the other club he lifted from bankruptcy.
By that point, Napoli had purchased only one player, albeit a very important one. Uruguay international Mathias Olivera was purchased from Getafe to compete with Mario Rui for a starting role at left back, a position long-considered Napoli’s greatest weakness. Mario Rui wasn’t ready to let it go, becoming one of the best crossers of the ball in the league.
Shortly after the start of Dimaro, the club announced the signing of Leo Østigård. The Norway international was owned by English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, but spent a season on loan at Genoa.
Both players improved the club’s depth, but neither left fans feeling any better about the mass exodus. It wasn’t until the final two weeks of the summer transfer window that Napoli supporters were given a glimmer of hope. In a stroke of genius, Napoli’s mastermind Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli loaned Andrea Petagna to Monza and replaced him with Giovanni Simeone on nearly identical terms. The Argentinian, who extinguished Napoli’s 2017/18 Scudetto hopes with a hat trick for Fiorentina, provided a legitimate back-up to the oft-injured Victor Osimhen. El Cholito was coming off his best season ever, scoring 17 goals for Hellas Verona in 2021/22.
Two days later, Napoli confirmed the purchase of Giacomo Raspadori from Sassuolo. The signing of one of Italy’s best young talents made the departure of Napoli’s adopted son (and all-time top goal-scorer) slightly more palatable. Yet, many pundits did not expect Napoli to finish in the top four, let alone compete for the Scudetto. Kim and Kvaratskhelia were too new and Osimhen was too injury prone.
Those opinions quickly changed. With three goals and an assist in his first two matches, Kvaratskhelia earned his first of three EA Sports Player of the Month Awards. No player had won the award more than once in a single season, let alone three times, since the awards were introduced in 2019. He would also win the Best Georgian Player of 2022 Award, the Crypto.com Goal of the Month (after slaloming through the entire Atalanta defense) and the AIC Player of the Month of March Award. An avid basketball fan, Kvaratskhelia was ready to ‘put ’em to sleep’ à la Steph Curry.
Perhaps his biggest achievement, though, was earning the nickname Kvaradona, for there is no greater honour in Napoli. “When it comes to even a small part of the Maradona name being associated with you, it’s an honour,” said Kvarataskhelia in an exclusive interview with DAZN. “It creates an emotion different from the others: it fills me with pride.” The entire country of Georgia was filled with pride. Kvara’s countrymen and women packed into movie theaters and chartered flights to Napoli to watch their star dazzle on the pitch.
Not to be outdone, Kvaratskhelia’s teammates racked up the accolades as well. In September, Kim Min-jae became the second Napoli players to earn EA Sports Player of the Month award, an award that is rarely given to defenders. The only other defender to have earned it was Kim’s predecessor, Kalidou Koulibaly. Though Koulibaly will never be forgotten in Napoli, Kim quickly demonstrated that he could fill Koulibaly’s shoes, especially on the big stage. The Monster lived up to his nickname, scoring the equalizer in Napoli’s 1-2 victory over Lazio. Against Milan two rounds later, he made a critical block on a 96th-minute header from Brahim Diaz, leaving legendary Italian defender Paolo Maldini holding his head in disbelief. Like Kvaratskhelia, Kim brought with him an entire nation of support.
While Napoli’s international marketing could use improvement, they have succeeded in growing their global fanbase by signing international players. In 2019, Mexico joined Napoli Nation with the purchase of Hirving Lozano. Nigeria followed suit a year later.
Victor Osimhen struggled with injuries in his first two seasons with the Azzurri. In his debut campaign, the striker missed ten league matches after suffering a shoulder injury while on international duty. However, the lanky No. 9 gave Napoli fans a taste of what he’s capable of, scoring eight goals in the final 14 matches of the season.
Osimhen carried that form into his second season, increasing his goal production to 14, despite missing eight matches with a fractured cheek bone. After a head-to-head collision with Inter’s Milan Škriniar crush his orbital socket, Osimhen had six metal plaques secured to his face with 18 metal screws. “When we performed the surgery, we used the best quality plaques in the world and had to study very carefully where to place them, so there was protection should the player have to head the ball,” explained surgeon Dr. Gianpaolo Tartaro.
Upon returning from the injury, Osimhen was required to wear a protective facemask, custom-made just for him. Much to everyone’s surprise, the Nigerian was still wearing the mask at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, despite having fully recovered from the injury. Nicknamed Super-Osimhen by teammate Bat-Juan Jesus, the mask seemed to give Osimhen superpowers, and the accolades quickly followed.
Osimhen was named the Globe Soccer Awards’ Emerging Player of 2022, EA Sports Player of the Month of January, the Foreign Press Association of Italy’s Best Foreign Player, the AIC Player of the Month of February and, perhaps most impressive of them all, had a chocolate mousse cake dedicated to him by Fresco Forno.
Osimhen still missed six matches due to two separate muscle injuries, but Napoli didn’t miss a beat. Raspadori and Simeone combined to score six match-winning goals this season, four of which were during Osimhen’s absence. They also combined to score eight goals in the Champions League.
After scoring his first, Simeone tearfully kissed the Champions League tattoo on his wrist. He promised his parents that one day he would when he got the tattoo at the age of 13. Meanwhile, though it wasn’t the goal to officially secure the title, Raspadori’s winner against bitter rivals Juventus will forever be a symbol of Napoli’s scudetto.
Osimhen could yet add another award or two to the list. Despite missing six matches, he still leads the race for the (now-named) Paolo Rossi Award with 22 league goals, to go along with five more in the Champions League. It was only fitting that he scored the goal to secure Napoli’s third scudetto, when it seemed the Nigerian had lost his powers along with his mask in Nigeria.
Though he’ll have to resist an in-form Lautaro Martinez, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Osimhen is five matches away from becoming Capocannoniere. Francesco Totti won it at Spalletti’s Roma in 2007, Edin Džeko won it at Spalletti’s Roma in 2017 and Mauro Icardi shared the award with Ciro Immobile at Spalletti’s Inter in 2018.
Another key to the Tuscan’s system is the regista. Prior to Spalletti’s arrival, Stanislav Lobotka had fallen terribly out of shape, discouraged by a lack of playing time under Gennaro Gattuso. Spalletti knew his potential though, having followed Lobotka during his time at Inter. It wasn’t long before Lobotka became Spalletti’s new David Pizzaro. A year later he was runner-up for the Slovakia Player of the Year Award. Lobotka was one of many players who took massive leaps forward under the tutelage of Spalletti. Alex Meret, Amir Rrahmani and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa did as well.
Often credited as the inventor of the false nine, Spalletti has always been an innovator. After being sacked by Inter, the Tuscan took two years off to reflect. “This is the place where I can concentrate best to find the best solutions for the team,” Spalletti told Diletta Leotta as DAZN toured his ranch. “The silence of the hills is the most beautiful thing in the world, because you find that tranquility to be able to think and you feel a bit like a monk in a convent. It’s nice to go and touch the depth of your feelings.”
Spalletti emerged with new ideas. First, he set out to fix the mentality of the club, transcribing the lyrics of the fan’s famous chant ‘Saro con te’ on all training bibs. Then he addressed the tactics. In defense, his Napoli pressed and gegenpressed like Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool. In attack, they retained possession, moving on and off the ball with the fluidity of Pep Guardiola’s City. In a league historically associated with catenaccio, Napoli played modern football.
After a blistering start to the 2021/22 campaign, the Partenopei seemed poised to finally return the Scudetto to the south. However, with only two league wins over November and December, Napoli spent the balance of the season chasing the two clubs from Milan. Though Spalletti achieved what he was hired to do – get Napoli back into the Top 4 – the goal posts had been moved. Fans had allowed themselves to dream, and they needed something or someone to blame.
Some blamed De Laurentiis, who, in their view, was more concerned about the riches associated with Champions League qualification than the glory of winning Serie A. Some blamed the athletic staff, who struggled to keep the squad fit for a second consecutive season. Some blamed the players, who had all the talent in the world but lacked the mental fortitude to get over that last hump. And others blamed Spalletti, whose teams always seemed to run out of steam by December.
With Milan’s incredible sprint to the 2021/22 finish line, Napoli’s dwindling Scudetto hopes were snuffed with two rounds left to play. Shortly thereafter, a banner appeared outside the Stadio Maradona. “Spalletti, we’ll give you back the Panda…as long as you leave,” it read, referencing Spalletti’s Fiat Panda that was stolen outside the the Britannique Hotel in October of 2022.
Few managers are built to handle the pressure of Napoli, but Spalletti was unfazed. “We have to see in what state they give it back to us,” he said in his next press conference. “If Pino Daniele is not playing inside it, I don’t want it back.” Upon further reflection, he told DAZN, “I like to think it has been taken by some family men who are using it to take their children to school. That’s okay, I have another panda and we’re fine.” The ultras had met their match, and so they turned their attention back to De Laurentiis.
If the Napoli president had his way, there would be no ultras in the stadium at all. Tensions between the parties came to a head in early April. In response to exorbitant ticket prices, the introduction of a Napoli fidelity card (coordinated between the club and local authorities) and new restrictions on banners, flags, drums and megaphones, the ultras staged a silent protest. The away sector did all the chanting as Milan handed Napoli their heaviest defeat of the season.
Napoli’s ultras only began to chant near the end of the match, and the chants were to insult the club owner. Physical altercations between different Napoli ultra groups only added to the misery. The 0-4 victory gave Milan the psychological advantage needed heading into their Champions League Quarter-final tie. Recognizing their role in the defeat, the ultras and De Laurentiis made peace, evidenced by the cringe-worthy photo he posted on social media. However, it wasn’t enough. The Rossoneri went on to win the tie 2-1 on aggregate.
Sadly, the clash amongst Napoli fans at the Maradona was not the first time this season that the beautiful football produced on the pitch was tarnished by violence off of it. Similar brawls were witnessed in Frankfurt, despite Napoli opening the knockout stage with a 0-2 victory. Those scenes paled in comparison to what the world witnessed ahead of the return leg. Though they were banned from attending the match due to concerns over public safety, thousands of Frankfurt fans traveled to Naples via Salerno.
Fueled by scathing comments from Frankfurt board member Philipp Reschke and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, the outcome everyone feared unfolded. A night that should have been remembered for Napoli’s first ever qualification to the Champions League Quarter-finals, will instead be remembered for the destruction Frankfurt fans caused in the city’s historic centre.
“We deeply regret the events that have taken place. There is absolutely nothing to justify this violence, it is unacceptable,” said Reschke. “It harms football, it harms Eintracht Frankfurt and it harms our efforts to stick up for fans who want to watch a game without restrictions in the stadium.”
Earlier in the year, the Derby del Sole played itself out on the Autostrada del Sole. Napoli and Roma ultras collided at the Badia al Pino service station on the A1, shutting down one of Italy’s most important highways for nearly an hour. As a result, residents of Campania were banned from attending away matches for two months.
Napoli fans were heading north to Genoa for a match against Sampdoria, while Roma fans were heading north for a match against Milan. With the leaders running away with it – la capolista se ne va! – northern football fans were more hostile towards the south than usual. Juventus, Sampdoria, Atalanta, Milan, Fiorentina and Hellas Verona were all fined for their fans singing discriminatory chants of a territorial nature.
In true Napoletano fashion, Napoli fans adopted the chant as their own and twisted its meaning. “Vesuvio Erutta” no longer described the destruction of Napoli. Instead, it represented Napoli’s destruction of everyone else. The Partenopei struggled in April, but it didn’t matter. Napoli dominated Italy and Europe in the first seven months of the season.
The Maradona was electric as Napoli steamrolled Liverpool in the opening match of Group A. By the return leg, Napoli only needed to avoid a three-goal defeat to top the group.
In Serie A, the Partenopei won 24 out of 27 matches, outscoring their opponents 64-16. The gem in the crown was a 5-1 victory over Juventus. This time around there was no December collapse. In fact, there was no domestic football in December at all. Remarkably, the 16 Napoli players called up to their respective nation’s World Cup squads returned relatively unscathed. With so many points already secured, combined with the collective struggles of the sette sorrelle, it was only a matter of time before Napoli guaranteed their first Scudetto in 33 years.
Osimhen’s 52nd minute equalizer meant Napoli were champions with five matches still remaining. Under the quiet leadership of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, the Scudetto finally returned to the south. Spalletti’s most studious pupil addressed his teammates after the match. “With work and sacrifice we managed to achieve an incredible result. In football, anything can happen between those who leave and those who stay, but this success unites us forever . Forza Napoli!”
Only six years prior, Di Lorenzo was playing for FC Matera in the fourth division of Italian football. Now the team leader in minutes played is both a European and an Italian champion. His speech was short and sweet and spoke of hard work and sacrifice, as much a description of himself as it was of his team. With those words, the locker-room erupted into song, but this time it was a different chant. “Siamo noi, siamo noi. I campioni dell’italia siamo noi!” (It is us, it is us. The Champions of Italy, it is us!).
Back in Naples, 60,000 Napoletani had filled the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to watch the match on screens positioned around the stadium. De Laurentiis addressed the crowd after the match. “First of all, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You always told me, “we want to win”…and we won. And we all won together.”
Meanwhile, Spalletti couldn’t hold back his tears as he dedicated the achievement to his daughter Matilde, to all his family and friends and to his late brother Marcello. In his post-match press conference, Spalletti suggested that Maradona had a hand in winning the league five rounds before the end of the season. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that, two-and-a-half years after his passing, Argentina won the World Cup and Napoli won the Scudetto, like Maradona’s teams did in 1986.
But most of all, Spalletti dedicated the win to his players. “They deserve this goal, this joy and happiness to share with their families. They were incredible professionals.” As Spalletti famously paraphrased William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, “it’s not in the stars to hold our destinies but in ourselves. Strong men, strong destinies. Weak men, weak destinies. There is no other way.”
