Opinion
Located in the south of Italy near Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, the city of Naples is not as glamorous as people may think it is.
The city is known for its poverty, crime, and high unemployment rate, making it difficult for families to enjoy fulfilling lives.
It is this reason why the Neapolitans classify football as a religion and are some of the most passionate supporters of world football. For most, it is the only joy they can cling to get away from their lives.
The noise inside the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is spine-tingling and electric. When the fans belt out “THE CHAMPIONS” at the end of the Champions League anthem, nothing comes close.
There hasn’t been this much hype around Napoli since the glory days of Maradona, Gianfranco Zola, Careca, and Ciro Ferrara that helped guide the club to their only two league titles in 1987 and 1990.
The evolution began back in 2004 when they went bankrupt and were relegated to Italy’s third division, where a wealthy film producer by the name of Aurelio De Laurentiis bought the club with the ambition to bring it back to the top.
It took seven years to qualify for the Champions League, but ever since then, it has been a steady improvement while challenging for domestic trophies and implementing an attractive brand of football, more notably with former manager Maurizio Sarri.
The recent summer transfer window was viewed by many as a massive disappointment with the departures of experienced dressing room figures in Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Mertens, along with captain and club cult hero Lorenzo Insigne paving the way for a pessimistic season ahead.
De Laurentiis and coach Luciano Spaletti had different ideas, however.
The plan did not include splashing the cash on big-name signings to fill the gaps left behind by their predecessors, with this route being ignored including an opportunity to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
(Photo by Oleg Bilsagaev/Getty Images)
Instead, the club identified talented bargains to reload all while being able to improve the quality of football and results.
Kim Min-Jae has been a revelation in defence which has added stable solidity.
Bought for only €18 million, he has been one of the shining lights of the team alongside centre-back partner Amir Rrahmani. No one knew who Kim was until now.
The midfield area, which has been so impressive and dominant, has spearheaded this incredible momentum.
Twenty-six-year-old box-to-box midfielder Zambo Anguissa was just an outsider at championship club Fulham a couple of years ago until Napoli took a chance on him on loan.
The Cameroonian has taken the opportunity with both hands, running the show in the centre of the park and providing the drive and energy between defence and attack.
His best performance was against Liverpool last month where he looked like an unstoppable force, scoring an incredible team goal to top it off. In fact, it was Napoli’s best showing this season where they carved up the Merseysiders as if they were a Championship side.
The help of Piotr Zieliński, Stanislav Labotka, and Tanguy Ndombele has allowed the side to orchestrate the best football in Europe and provide link-up play seen only by Manchester City recently.
Up front in the attacking third, Napoli is at their most devastating best.
Young Nigerian sensation Victor Osimhen has already established himself as one of the best centre-forwards in Europe with his power, strength, hold-up play, pace, and deadly finishing despite missing a fair few games through injuries.
(Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
There is no doubt that this position has improved in depth, which could not be said in years past, with the additions of the technically gifted Giacomo Raspadori and son of Diego Simeone, Giovanni, who netted 17 times in Serie A with Hellas Verona last campaign.
However, the stand-out player so far has to be Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, referred to as ‘Kvara,’ who has sensationally taken Europe by storm.
The unknown gem was scouted from Georgian club Dinamo Batumi and signed for €10 million.
The winger has torn the flanks to shreds time and time again, his brilliant skill and quick feet have led to the 21-year-old being dubbed the ‘Georgian Messi.’ He is the kind of player which you would pay any money to watch perform live.
He has been the catalyst in Napoli’s quest toward silverware, rising to stardom with eight goals and 10 assists in just 16 games.
Napoli is absolutely firing on all cylinders. They are in first place in both Serie A and in their Champions League group, staying unbeaten so far winning 15 and drawing two in both competitions.
Incredibly, they are averaging 2.94 goals per game and conceding 0.76 goals per game respectively, outlining the successful blueprint that has been instilled in a group that is continuously growing in confidence and belief.
Credit must obviously go to Spaletti, who has tweaked the way his squad is playing compared to Sarri’s philosophy. However, it is still possession-based with the focus of creating ample goalscoring chances.
The difference, though, is the mental side of the game, which has been a major obstacle in previous years where Napoli would be known for running out of steam and falling flat on their faces at the final hurdle.
The same could be said last season when they accumulated 31 out of 33 points in the first 11 rounds, only to trail behind and lose all momentum.
This time, there is a different feeling that can be sensed in Naples.
Questions still remain in terms of the depth of the overall squad and whether a few injuries or a couple of bad results can really knock them off a cliff once again.
Another intriguing factor is the upcoming World Cup break for nearly two months which is more than capable of derailing the success that Napoli has built so far as it is uncharted waters.
In saying that, there have been positive signs which have included the team continuing to display great performances and results despite the absence of Osimhen for a chunk of this season.
The 1-0 win away to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico also proved doubters wrong that the Southern club is more than capable of playing unattractive football when it’s needed and that they have the ability to grind out results. That comes down to mental fortitude.
Yes, there are still questions that need answering, but in the meantime, it is time to appreciate their fantastic style of play and impressive consistency week in and week out.
This time, Napoli is the real deal. They are here to stay.
Will it end up leading to a massive party on the streets of Naples just like it did back in the glory days?
Time will determine that.
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