There is a scene in the wonderful documentary "Ballon d'Or of the Century: Maradona", directed by Asif Kapadia, which depicts Napoli as a sacred temple of Italian soccer. To be more precise, it's the very beginning of the movie.
It was the summer of 1984, and shortly after his arrival in Naples, the Argentine legend entered the Stadio de São Paulo (the stadium was renamed in his honor after the great man's death in 2020) and was warmly welcomed by over 75,000 fans.
At the time, it was as if the city had been abandoned by all of Italy, forced to accept the widespread reputation of being a hick, and scorned by the North. So the introduction of Maradona symbolized the beginning of a new chapter for both the players and the team; it was a revolution for this Southern Italy team, and the people were ready to make history. The noise in the stadium was loud and clear, and Maradona was in the moment - both a protagonist and a witness to history. He may have been born and raised in Lanús, Argentina, but at this moment in time, he felt like he was finally home.
After a gradual rebuilding process, Napoli won their first ever Serie A title less than three years later, in the 1986/87 season, and were finally crowned kings of Italy. After beating Atalanta in the final of the Coppa Italia that season, they even became the third ever Italian double winners, and in the 1989/90 season they won their second title - and the last one so far.
Diego Maradona (1960-), Argentine footballer
Since then, the team has received very few trophies in the
Juventus, Italian football team
FC Internazionale Milano (football club)
和
AC Milan (football club)
As they continued to dominate, fans wondered: was the Maradona era just a period of anomaly? The end of the 1990s was particularly difficult for Napoli: they were relegated in 1998, and in 2004 they declared bankruptcy and were forced to play in the C division, a situation that was certainly aggravated by the fact that the team had been relegated to the C division.
It seemed that the door of hope was closing for the once-prominent team. But then something magical happened: Aurelio De Laurentiis, a famous producer, bought the team with a simple promise - to bring financial stability and a return to its former glory. Fans were apprehensive, as he came from a very different industry and certainly didn't understand the tenacious and sophisticated blue-collar fan base. In the end, the new owner began to get the team out of the Boxers, and the support from the fans was undiminished. Not only did the supporters continue to stand by the team during this difficult period, but their love for Napoli intensified; in fact, their attendance at matches was even higher than that of some of the First Division teams, which allowed the team to recover.
Currently serving
Chelsea
This is what Kalidou Koulibaly, Napoli's famous footballer, used to say: "This is the people of Napoli - their love and support never fails, come rain or shine. Eventually, the team was able to return to the First Division, one step at a time, and it only took them three years to do so.
Securing a return to the top flight is just one of the goals, while the ultimate treasure - the dream of becoming league champions again - is an even bigger and more elusive challenge. Napoli, runners-up four times in the last decade, are within striking distance, but the players have always been in Maradona's shadow, and the threat of relegation and financial uncertainty have surrounded the team, putting them under constant pressure.
It's been 33 years since Napoli last embroidered that little shield on its jersey. And this chaotic, awesome New York-like city is alive once again - saved by a man who likes to conjure up money by movie magic - and this team is making their dreams come true.
Led by the eccentric, charismatic and widely respected coach Luciano Spalletti, Napoli are currently at the top of the Serie A table, and they're not just ahead of the rest of the pack, they're crushing them. As of February 17th, they hold the top spot with 59 points.
table of scores (in exams or sports league)
First place, a full 15 points ahead of their nearest rivals, second-placed Inter. Their only loss was 1:0 to Inter on January 4 (January 5, Taiwan time), and frankly, it's not unlikely that they'll win!
European crown
: They are preparing to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the round of sixteen next week.
(Editor's Note: On March 4, Taiwan time, Napoli lost to Lazio by 1:0, the second defeat in the Yi League this season. Nevertheless, Napoli is still on top of the table with 65 points. 2:0 on February 22nd, Napoli defeated Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg, and the second leg will be held on March 16th, with Napoli facing Eintracht Frankfurt at home).
Says Napoli has a chance to win.
European crown
Not an exaggeration at all, they are really something.
