Napoli failed to beat Lecce on the final Serie A matchday, drawing 0-0 at the Diego Maradona Stadium on Sunday. As a result, they finished 10th in the standings, a whopping 41 points behind new champions Inter.
This time last year, the city of Naples threw a series of spectacles to celebrate a long-awaited Scudetto as Luciano Spalletti’s side brought home the trophy for the first time in 33 years. Little did anyone know that Spalletti’s departure in the immediate aftermath would leave Napoli in chaos.
Only 12 months after having Serie A under their thumb, Napoli replicated an unwanted feat set by Milan 27 years ago. In 1996/97, the Rossoneri had to settle for an 11th-place finish as the reigning Scudetto holders. That negative record long stood the test of time before the Partenopei matched it in 2023/24.
Regardless of all the additional European spots Serie A has gained thanks to Italian clubs’ stellar continental runs, Napoli will not be part of Europe next season. It will be the first time in 15 years that the southern giants will not compete in a major European competition, which is catastrophic, knowing nine places could guarantee a continental promotion.
If Fiorentina best Olympiacos in Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final, ninth-placed Torino will qualify for Europe. That’s where Napoli should’ve been, but they couldn’t find the net against season-long bottom-half struggles on home turf.
Then, it’s not surprising that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is doing his best to convince Antonio Conte to take charge of his struggling club.
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