The Scudetto Returns to Napoli

Napoli has finally reached football heaven. They are now Italian champions for the first time since 1990. Naples erupted with wild celebrations across the city when it was finally confirmed after a 1-1 draw against Udinese on May 4th, and the celebrations are not ending anytime soon. Napoli, the club heavily associated with Diego Maradona, now has new heroes from Nigeria, Georgia, South Korea and Kosovo. 

For some, it is a surprise. For others, it is not, as Napoli has been one of the best-performing teams in Serie A over the past decade, with quality players and coaches coming to the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. They have been close to winning it on various occasions but failed. Now, it has finally happened. This is the story of Napoli's rise to become Italian champions again.

DECLINE, RELEGATION AND BANKRUPTCY

The Maradona years at Napoli were the most successful period in the club's history. They became the first team from Southern Italy to win Serie A in 1987; when Serie A was the best football league in the world. They won the league title again in 1990 after winning the Coppa Italia in 1987 and the UEFA Cup in 1989. Considering the competition at the time in Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan, Maradona elevated Napoli to a level that no player after has replicated since. Today, Maradona is adulated in Naples as a football deity, with shrines across the city in his honour.

Following his departure in 1991, Napoli suffered a decline on the field. Though they finished fourth place in 1992, they fluctuated between the top and bottom half in the subsequent seasons before being relegated to Serie B in 1998, finishing bottom of the league with just fourteen points. They were promoted to Serie A in 2000 but suffered relegation again on their return. 

They failed to come back up, and their financial struggles during this period caught up to them, as the club was declared bankrupt and was demoted to the third tier of Italian football in 2004. Italian filmmaker Aurelio De Laurentiis bought the club in 2004 as Napoli Soccer before changing it to its original name in 2006. De Laurentiis still owns Napoli to this day and is the club president, renowned for being a tough negotiator for clubs to want to acquire his players. Though he is credited for reviving Napoli, he is still a polarising figure in Napoli as he is frugal with club finances. 

RESURGENCE AND COMING CLOSE

Napoli achieved back-to-back promotions to return to Serie A in 2006. They have remained in Serie A since and have been a constant face in the Italian top flight. Their resurgence kicked off at the start of the 2010s. Having the famed attacking trio of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi. Cavani was prolific during his time in Naples, scoring 104 times in three seasons and was the top scorer in the 2012/13 Serie A season, scoring twenty-nine goals. 

Their performance in the Champions League in 2012, particularly the round of 16 ties against Chelsea, made everyone consequent of Napoli and what they were capable of. Under Walter Matzzari, they eventually found success, winning the Coppa Italia that same year, beating Juventus in the final. Their first major trophy since 1990.

Cavani and Lavezzi departed in 2013 to Paris Saint-Germain. Hamsik stayed, becoming the cornerstone of Napoli's midfield. Alongside new acquisitions in Jose Callejon, Raul Albiol, Dries Mertens, Pepe Reina and Gonzalo Higuain, all under Rafael Benitez, Napoli looked to be going places. However, despite winning the Coppa Italia again in 2014, Benitez took Napoli to third in his first season and resigned after failing to qualify for the Champions League the following season. 

Italian coach Maurizio Sarri came in, ushering in the best period of consistency for the team from Naples. Napoli finished in the top three in every season under the Italian and challenged regularly for the Scudetto. Higuain equalled the record for the most goals in a Serie A in 2016 but departed for Juventus for ninety million euros. The most expensive sale in Napoli's history. They managed to compensate for the loss of Higuain by converting Mertens into a centre-forward, which paid off as Mertens scored fifty-six in two seasons under Sarri.

Their apex under Sarri came in the 2017/18 season when they fiercely competed for the title against Juventus, the defending champions. With Mertens leading the attack alongside Lorenzo Insigne, Hamsik the midfield general with Jorginho, Allan or Piotr Zielinski and Kalidou Koulibaly marshalling the defence, it was an opportunity for Napoli to finally win the Scudetto. They finished the season with ninety-one points, the most accumulated in Napoli's history. However, it was not enough as Juventus won the Scudetto with ninety-five points. A great season that ended in heartbreak.

A COMEDOWN

After the 2017/18 season, Sarri departed to become Chelsea's new manager. Napoli replaced him with Carlo Ancelotti. A prolific winner, Ancelotti was a coup for Napoli. However, he was unable to replicate the success of Sarri. Hamsik departed with Fabian Ruiz coming in. Napoli finished second again but was eleven points behind the champions Juventus, doubling the number of defeats suffered the previous season. 

In the season after, Napoli had a bad start. Winning just five in their first fifteen games, plus a dispute between Ancelotti and De Laurentiis. De Laurentiis called for a training camp. But Ancelotti disagreed as the players went on strike. Ancelotti was eventually dismissed in December 2019, with Gennaro Gattuso taking his place. Napoli finished the season in seventh place, their worst finish since 2009. Their season, however, ended with Silverware winning the Coppa Italia on penalties against Juventus.

The 2020/21 season saw Napoli finish fifth. This was an improvement from last season. But Gattuso was fired for failing to return to the Champions League and getting the best out of Victor Osimhen. Napoli's record signing from Lille for seventy million euros. Luciano Spalletti was appointed, and Napoli finished third and was closer to the top. Finishing eight points behind champions AC Milan. 

Changes were to come as stalwarts like Mertens, Insigne, Koulibaly and Ruiz left during the off-season. This angered Napoli fans and raised questions on whether they will finish in the Champions League places again the following season, with Milan, Inter and Juventus still relatively strong. 

FINALLY GLORY

With a relatively new squad, qualifying for the Champions League would be an achievement for Spalletti. However, Napoli started fast. They won twelve of their first fifteen games before the World Cup break and sat top of the league since matchday six. After the resumption, they lost for the first time against Inter and faced Juventus on January 13th at home, who won seven straight games and conceded just seven goals.

Napoli beat Juventus 5-1 in what is the most significant result of Napoli's season. With nobody able to catch them, Napoli's title win was inevitable, being a matter of when. Despite getting knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals and exhausted, Napoli powered on and finally sealed the Scudetto after a 1-1 draw against Udinese on May 4th, with five games to spare.

Spalletti, having not won Serie A in his career, is receiving plaudits for maximising his squad despite the changes experienced during the off-season. His Napoli side has been one of the best teams in Europe this season, scoring the most goals in Serie A and having the best defence, conceding just twenty-three goals.

Victor Osimhen has been remarkable as Napoli's leading striker. The Nigerian has scored twenty-six times in all competitions and is currently the top scorer in Serie A with twenty-one goals. Georgian forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been Osimhen's partner in crime. Coming from his native Georgia, he has settled like a duck on water. He has been Napoli's creative lynchpin, creating ten assists while scoring twelve goals himself in Serie A. 

Zielinski is one of the few experienced heads at Napoli and has been everpresent in midfield along with Stanislav Lobotka and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who have provided steel and stability. Kim Min-Jae had question marks, replacing fan favourite Koulibaly. But the Korean central defender has been a force in Napoli's defence, winning 91 aerial duels. Alongside fellow central defender Amir Rrahmani, goalkeeper Alex Meret, left-back Mario Lui and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Napoli created the perfect storm and finally tasted glory again. Becoming one of the biggest stories of the current football season

WHAT'S NEXT?

Napoli would fear that the super clubs will poach their best players. However, De Laurentiis is a tough negotiator who will let off a star player unless he gets the maximum value from the buying club. Plus, after what they have achieved, it will be hard for the Napoli players to leave after receiving such adulation. Their home game against Inter on May 21st will be the biggest party since 1990, as they will lift the trophy in a packed home crowd.

Napoli's title run is one the people of Naples have waited for. With the rivals rebuilding in the next few months, Napoli can win it again if they can keep hold of their players. Napoli's exciting play and calculated approach in the transfer market have finally borne fruit.