Napoli claim first Serie A title since 1990

After a much-anticipated Serie A title, Napoli have finally been crowned Italian champions, winning the league by a sizeable 16 point gulf. Spalletti's men knew that a draw against Udinese would be enough to get across the line, and they did just that tonight, being pegged back to a 1-1 draw away from home. No one associated with the club will care about the result, however, as the side's third ever Italian title is now theirs.

Runaway leaders

It had long just been a matter of time that the side from southern Italy were going to get their first 'Scudetto' since Argentine legend Diego Maradona's last in 1990 after they had been long since runaway leaders of the Italian top flight. Their run of 19 wins from 20 league games stretching from September until the end of February was the key part which undoubtedly thrusted them into the most commanding Serie A position seen for years, with other hopefuls Juventus, Lazio and Milan simply unable to match the pace.

After a slightly more rocky spell from March onwards, falling to disappointing losses against fellow title contenders Lazio as well as AC Milan, the title was not yet won. Despite seeing a slightly shakier side compared to pre-Qatar World Cup, it was not easy for the fans to lose hope, with their men being over 15 points clear of their nearest rivals. After clocking up a eye-watering 25 wins, 5 draws and just 3 defeats, Spalletti has expertly led his men right to the top.

It has been clear to see some nerves creeping in in recent weeks, however, falling to draws against Hellas Verona and Salernitana either side of the Juventus triumph. This slight hiccup was not even close to worrying the leaders, however, and their commanding lead at the helm saw them with their second chance of claiming the silverware this Thursday. It is true that the Salernitana draw turned out to mean more than just two points dropped, with the city having to wait four more days before the side were set up for the title win on the second attempt against Udinese.

Stand-out stars

The class of 2023's feat will long go down in history, and Naples' citizens will fondly remeber how their heroes managed to replecate what the side last achieved 33 years prior. Stand-out names like Victor Osimhen, getting 22 goals across the domestic campaign, as well as Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, playing 28 times just in the Serie A have become regular features on the backs of thousands of fans' shirts.

Whenever a side wins a league title, it is much more than just a job well-done from the forwards, of course. In the case of the Azzurri's, stalwarts Meret, Di Lorenzo and Min-Jae Kim have been partiularly important, each playing over 30 times in the domestic competition, letting just 22 get past them.

What remains to be seen is whether Spalletti will be able to convince the stars who have come of age to remain Napoli players, as they have certainly gained signigicant interest from the continent's biggest, whether that attention being wanted or not.

Jubilation in Naples

The city's excitement for the day when they were finally going to be crowned champions of the Serie A has been plain to see for weeks in the southern city, with streets bedecked in blue, processions of passionate fans draping banners over every conceivable hook for the long-awaited home-coming of the coveted title. 

Everyone associated with the club was ready for it last Sunday against Salernitana, but it was not to be for the Napolitanos, who had gathered across the city to cheer home what they had hoped to be victory at the first time of asking. Fans exclaiming things like "It's ours! Now let's show the world who Napoli is," have not been uncommon in the city for months, and the side's accomplishment will surely mean a great deal for the entirety of the region, even for those who are not self-proclaimed football fanatics.

 

May 4, 2023