Maradona can inspire Napoli to Serie A glory

The Serie A has been dominated by one team in the last decade. Juventus have scooped the last nine titles and are hoping to add their 10th Scudetto this season. As a club they’ve hoovered up most of Italy’s top talent and added some of the world’s best to bolster their squad too. Off the pitch, they remain a massive commercial brand and with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad you can never write them off.

Napoli determined to topple Serie A’s hierarchy again

Scudetto odds:

Juve: 5/2 or 3.5 – never write off a record breaking team
Milan: 7/2 or 4.5 – started with a bang due to Zlatan’s brilliance
Napoli: 21/4 or 6/25 – outsiders with less pressure
Inter: 2/1 or 3.00 – current favourites

They swapped managers this season, opting for club legend Andrea Pirlo, in keeping with the current trend of sticking young legends at the helm and at last we can see some cracks. They are not on top at last, as they trail Milan by six points.

Italy’s forgotten South

At this stage we should probably be discussing AC Milan’s chances, especially as Zlatan somehow continues to rip up the record books. However, while Milan deserve respect, our attention will fall on Napoli, who are often the forgotten boys of the Serie A.

2020 has had a huge impact on the club, and that’s not just financially. November 25th 2020 will always be a black day for Neoplitans as club legend Diego Armando Maradona passed away in a story which rocked the world. None felt his loss more than the people of Naples, a city where Diego was King, a religious city where he is referred to as San Diego. He is a demigod in this part of the world, and was compared to the pope too.

Just for more context. The word “Diego” is literally tattooed on every other person in Napoli and there is also a place of worship dedicated to their hero. He is the only who gave these people hope, made them proud to be southerners, Neapolitan and impacted them in a profound and important way. He left a mark on the people of Napoli, much like Sir Alex Ferguson left his on Manchester, The Beatles on Liverpool and so on…

We won’t go into too much detail on his records in Serie A, but we will highlight this: Napoli’s only two Scudettos came while Diego Maradona was at the height of his career. His victories there changed the perception of the whole South of Italy, in a country which is ever so divided geographically and economically. The poor, dirty south toppled the dominant north. A sentence which cuts deep and would still be valid today. In the late 80s Naples was considered to be the poorest region in the whole of Europe. Juventus fans taunted their fans with chants related to cholera and lack of bathing and general hygiene. Maradona’s brilliance helped change the tide forever.

Napoli’s tribute to their patron saint was immense. In the week of his death they released a fourth kit in his honour, combining the colour scheme of his club and his country. That day Napoli beat Roma 4-0 and Gattuso’s men set down a marker. The explosion that would follow should Napoli win the league would cause Vesuvius to erupt such is the importance of football in Italy’s deep south.

They backed the 4-0 win over Roma with another 4-0 victory and Napoli are now in third place, only six points away from Milan. They are second in the goal scoring charts, but first in the passion-charts and added determination can mean more fuel in the tank.

People in Naples and Argentina mourned Diego Maradona before they got the chance to mourn their own family members who fell victims of the pandemic, so the emotional outpour was incredibly moving in both parts of the world. Napoli’s home stadium has also been renamed the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and while we know these things don’t mean titles, the players are extra determined this year.

At the heart of that team is club captain Lorenzo Insigne, whose beautifully struck freekick stood out in the Roma victory. He is the only Neapolitan in his team, he is their leader and can be their catalyst this season. He’s bagged four goals in seven games and is leading by example.

Lorenzo Insigne dedicates his goal to Diego Maradona pic.twitter.com/Tt5PrlKgew

— Goal (@goal) November 29, 2020

Insigne is 10th in Napoli’s all time goal scorers list, a list lead by forward Dries Mertens. Maradona is third in that list . Napoli have a habit of bringing the best out-of-out and out strikers with players like Gonzalo Higuain, who eventually turned his back on the city, and Edinson Cavani who were both adored by the club ultras.

Football is currency in Naples. The iconic port city lusts for a Scudetto and 2020/21 would be the perfect year to win it. The city was savagely hurt by Covid-19, they lost a club legend and face a huge post-pandemic economic battle given Italy’s brittle economy.

Seeing their main rivals Juventus help themselves to title after title can only add fuel to the flame, and the story would be so romantic if it were Napoli, and not Milan, who would stop them from winning 10 in a row. It’s a David v Goliath, Rich Dad v Poor Dad story and one that football fans dream of seeing. Serie A this season has been lit and we can’t help but feel Maradona’s influence can still be influential in this often forgotten part of Italy.

A Scudetto triumph would be against the odds, but that is exactly the position where the people of Naples have always thrived! When Napoli first won the title they painted the whole city light blue. Buildings, cars, benches, signs, dogs… You name it, they painted it, and we’ll tell you… they can’t wait to find those spray cans once again!

More Casumo Sports Page

Premier League | La Liga | Serie A | Championship | Champions League | Tennis | Boxing