The stories of Napoli and Diego Armando Maradona have always been intertwined. After all, the Italian southerners had never tasted real glory prior to the arrival of the iconic Argentine, nor following his departure.
Although club president Aurelio De Laurentiis succeeded in restoring the club’s status among the elite in the wake of a dark period, his team fell just short on a couple of occasions, with the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup being the only trophies to enter the club’s cabinet in the current millennium.
Nonetheless. the current version of Napoli may finally end the long and agonizing Scudetto drought, as Luciano Spalletti’s men are deservingly leading the Serie A standings all while looking every bit of genuine contenders for the Italian throne.
So here are five reasons why this could finally be the Azzurri’s year.
Lobotka Revival
Following the departure of Fabian Ruiz, the supporters were rightfully concerned as the club sold its most creative midfielder to Paris Saint-Germain. Although Tanguy Ndombele arrived as a replacement, Spalletti has instead found a solution from within.
Despite struggling for form and playing time since his arrival to Napoli in 2020, Stanislav Lobotka has chosen the right timing to resurrect his career. Since the start of the campaign, The former Celta Vigo star has rapidly cemented himself as one of the best deep-lying playmakers in Italy.
The Slovakian has built a great understanding with André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Piotr Zielinski, and Napoli suddenly possess what may arguably be the best midfield trio in the league.
Astounding Depth
In order to compete and excel on multiple fronts, having a deep squad is paramount for any team’s aspirations. While Napoli were trailing behind the other Scudetto contenders in this regard, it’s been a different story this term.
For instance, when Victor Osimhen sustained a facial injury last season, Spalletti was left with a major headache, struggling to find a genuine replacement for the team’s ultimate hitman. But this time around, summer signings Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone ensured that the Nigerian’s absence was hardly felt.
Spalletti now has a variety of options on his hand, and has been making the right choices on almost every occasion thus far.
Supreme Kvara
While squad depth and shrewd tactical choices are a must for any title bid, they will only take a club so far in the absence of an enigmatic star who can make the difference week in week out – reminiscently to Milan’s Rafael Leao last season, or Inter’s Romelu Lukaku in the year before.
Despite his mercurial talent and hometown hero status – or perhaps because of it – Lorenzo Insigne couldn’t quite finish the job during his ten-year stint with the first team. Ironically, his replacement might accomplish the mission on his maiden attempt.
Simply put, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a cheat code. We all heard about his talent before taking the field for the southerners, but no one in the city dared imagining that the Georgian would be THIS good.
The 21-year-old has been unplayable on the left flank, dribbling past his marker almost at will, while providing his teammates with countless scoring chances, and occasionally going for goal himself.
Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has hit the jackpot with this one, as Napoli now have a Bona Fide top talent among their ranks, and it’s a terrifying news for the rest of the field.
Trouble Up North
Even when boasting all the right tools that enables you to go all the way in the title race, your mission becomes significantly easier when your opponents aren’t enjoying their best period.
This season, the traditional northern superpowers have thus far failed to display the type of performances befitting their status. Juventus and Inter are lost in a sea of troubles, while the reigning champions Milan have dropped more points than expected after ten rounds while rarely looking too convincing, even when collecting routine wins.
So with the usual suspects looking shaky, the Scudetto is up for the taking, as Napoli have a golden opportunity to bring an end to the lengthy dominance of northern giants over the Italian landscape.
Vast Determination
Even when the Parternopei lacked the personnel to complete the job, they always had an unmatched hunger fueled by an extremely passionate city that has been long craving for glory.
Thankfully for Napoli, their fiery fanbase remains the most consistent factor in an otherwise chaotic environment, and the club’s shortcomings in recent years has seemingly made players and fans alike even more determined.
Perhaps some on the streets of Naples prefer to avoid the “S” word so they wouldn’t jinx their team’s chances. But like it or not, Napoli’s exploits have undoubtedly marked them as Scudetto favorites.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |