A BRIEF HISTORY OF NAPOLI FC
By Paul Rance
Italian football is known throughout the world for its passionate fans and there's none more passionate than the fans of Napoli.
Fanatical Fans
Often living in the shadow of the Milan clubs AC and Inter and Juventus of Turin, Napoli is the fourth best supported club in the whole of Italy. Millions of football fans around the world support the club. The fanaticism of Napoli's fans in creating arguably the best atmosphere in Italian football is a major reason why this club has such global appeal. Some of the club's most fanatical supporters, the ultras, also have a penchant for flares and firecrackers.
Early History
Nicknamed the Blues (I Azzurri in Italian), Napoli were established in 1926. By the mid-1930s, Napoli were already one of the leading clubs in Italy and had managed to finished third in the top flight on two occasions. The club's first star was Paraguayan-born striker Attila Sallustro, who went on to score 107 goals for the Blues.
The early 1940s and the 1950s were to prove a very eventful time for the club. During this period the Blues were relegated following a bribery scandal and moved on two separate occasions, eventually settling in their current home, the Stadio San Paolo, in 1959. In 1962 the Blues won their first major trophy when they won the Italian Cup after defeating SPAL.
After being relegated in 1963, Napoli were soon back in Serie A again, and were to come close to claiming the Italian title in the 1967-68 season, when they finished runners-up to AC Milan. This was the greatest Napoli side yet and included future Italian World Cup winner Dino Zoff in goal, as well as midfield star Antonio Juliano.
Maradona's Impact
Napoli remained one of Italy's top clubs throughout the 1970s, with a 4-0 hammering of Verona in the 1975-76 season securing another Italian Cup. But it was in June 1984 that Napoli was to shock the football world when purchasing Barcelona's Diego Maradona, then widely acknowledged as the world's best player, for a world record €12 million. Instant success didn't arrive, but, in 1986-87, the gifted Argentinian inspired Napoli to its first League title, and the club completed the Double by winning the Italian Cup following a 4-0 thrashing of Atalanta.
More history was made in 1988-89, when Napoli won its first major European trophy - the UEFA Cup, after defeating Stuttgart 5-4 over two legs. A year later and the Blues won the League title again. Though, the club then went into such serious decline that it was declared bankrupt in 2004. Rising as a new club, Napoli Soccer, to Serie A again, and from Serie C, the Blues won their fourth Italian Cup in 2011-12. The Blues 2-0 win was a surprise victory over a Juventus side that didn't lose a League game all season. Napoli also qualified for the Champions League for the first time, and qualified for the same competition again in 2012-13. Naples became champions of Serie A again in the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons.
Copyright © Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.