Opinion: Napoli's Serie A title victory built with smart spending, patience and love
The underdog Italian club captured its first Serie A title in 33 years
The last time Napoli won the Serie A title was 1990.
It was the year Germany was reunified, the Baltic states left the Soviet Union and the Hubble Space Telescope was launched.
On the field, Diego Maradona, the world’s best player at the time, led Napoli to that title. It was the club’s a second in just three years. It was an impressive run for a team that had never won much before the Argentine’s arrival. Less than a year later, Maradona tested positive for cocaine and suspended for 15 months.
The Maradona era at Napoli came to an inglorious end and the team suffered financial instability in the years that followed. By winning a third title, Napoli has again rejoined the select group of Italian clubs who dominate domestically. If the club continues on this path, it could very well win a series of trophies as well as compete in Europe.
Napoli had come close to winning the title the past few years, but fell short when the wealthier clubs from the north — most notably Juventus and AC Milan — continued to dominate. But the Partenopei won this season’s title, after building a double-digit lead halfway through the season, on Thursday following a 1-1 draw on the road against Udinese.
This is a team, however, that experienced plenty of downs over the past three decades. At the end of the 1997-98 season, Napoli was relegated to the second division. The debt-ridden team suffered some more. They were promoted two years later, only to be relegated again in 2001. Three years later, the team officially declared bankruptcy and was automatically relegated to Serie C1, the country’s third division.
The club was purchased by film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis for just $37 million. Under his leadership, the club became financially solvent. That led to renewed success on the field, including promotion to Serie A in 2000, capturing the Coppa Italia in 2012, 2014 and 2020 and the Italian Supercoppa in 2014.
Winning the title unleashed celebrations into the night in Naples as hundreds of thousands of people poured into the city’s streets. It was not just a win for De Laurentiis’ vision and decades-old investment, but also a major source of pride for Neapolitans and much of the country’s poorer south.
Unlike other big clubs such as Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester United, Napoli is not a club that has loads of debt. In fact, this is a team that learned how to do more with less over the years. As part of this winning formula, they actually reduced their payroll in recent years and signed players who aren’t established superstars.
Naples is a city of contradictions. It has a rich cultural heritage (it was founded by the Ancient Greeks), but also one with many economic challenges. For many fans, supporting Napoli provides them a sense of unity, pride and escape from the struggles of everyday life. The team serves as a source of hope and inspiration for the local community more than any sports team in any other city in the world.
It’s also true that Napoli fans are known for their vibrant and vocal support during matches. The atmosphere inside the old San Paolo (renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for their former captain and hero) can be electrifying.
That electricity has been matched by the team’s on-field exploits this season. Offensively, the team has been led by Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who hails from the Republic of Georgia.
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti told reporters earlier this week the success achieved this season has been a team effort.
“I have a team of thoroughbreds and I’m happy that in a short time the guys have shown all their qualities and their character,” he said. “I see the potential for the future, then of course it depends also on the transfer market, on the things we can manage to do.”
It has been a magical season for the team and the city. Many hope this is just the start of more success, both domestically and in Europe, for years to come. For now, the players and the fans are enjoying the moment. It’s been a very long 33 years.