The city of Naples is painted in the colors of their football club ahead of their potential new victory, on March 24, 2023. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP)
Football: 33 Years After Maradona’s Triumph, Napoli On the Brink of Winning the Italian Championship Read More
Napoli could win the Serie A in Italy on Sunday afternoon, six games before the end of the season. If Lazio does not win on Sunday the 30th of April in Milan, and Napoli win at home, their club will be crowned champions of Italy. The whole city is looking forward to celebrating this historic moment.
For the people of Napoli, this would be the first time in 33 years, since their last victory in the era of Maradona. However, in Naples, the celebrations have already started. They raise their glasses already. It has been a long time since the Scudetto (the Italian championship trophy) was won at least in the hearts of the Neapolitans. Giuseppe, 55, was there in 1987, and still remembers: “When we won our first championship with Maradona, this atmosphere you see today – Naples completely blue – was like this too, four or five weeks before … Today, with all our points, we even tend to hold back!”
Shirts with three badges are already available for sale, while Napoli still only has two. However, there is no superstition around the shirt’s extra badge. Francesco believes that it will bring the club some luck. “It’s been 33 years, the age of Christ, and it’ll bring us good luck. 33 and the 3rd championship. And I was born on the 3rd! Forza Napoli! We have a big heart, and we express it in football.” Alongside him stands Lorenzo, not a Neapolitan, but a supporter of the club. “I came even before Diego (Maradona) left, and it was already fascinating,” says the supporter. “Today, it’s even more so. It’s incredible, magical. All the fans in the world should come here, meditate and witness what’s going on.”
For the mayor of Napoli, Gaetano Manfredi, this victory is a revenge against the north of Italy, but not only in terms of football. “It’s a revenge that has a different flavor. Napoli is a very good team that is also very well managed, with good management and well-managed accounts, even the best record in Italy. So it’s not just a revenge by the city, it’s a revenge that shows that the South and Napoli can do things very well thanks to talent, creativity, and good governance … we can do better than the North!”
Like their mayor, tens of thousands of Neapolitans are already celebrating the victory.