The drought is over. After what felt like an eternal wait, Napoli has officially been crowned Serie A champions for the first time in 33 years. And in doing so, they have awakened the city from its slumber. The party may never end, as a glorious and thunderous fireworks display sounds the streets of Naples.
Napoli clinched its third league title in history after playing to a draw at Udinese on Thursday. The team was bitterly denied the crowning moment in front of its home crowd last Sunday when Salernitana scored a late goal to postpone the festivities. Udinese held a 1-0 lead through the first half before star forward Victor Osimhen fittingly delivered the equalizer in the 54th minute. The 24-year-old Nigerian leads Serie A in goals scored with 21.
Good luck trying to get some sleep in Naples tonight 😅🇮🇹
Napoli clinched the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years and the city is going CRAZY 🧨🎇
(via @OfficinaDiMarK)pic.twitter.com/N7s6UhfFix
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 4, 2023
Napoli had not reached the apex of Italian soccer since Argentinian legend Diego Maradona led the club there in 1987 and 1990. Its stadium was renamed in honor of the polarizing icon following his death in 2020. This dominant season– second-place Lazio trails by 16 points– could potentially be a precursor to prolonged prosperity.
The runaway championship comes after Napoli actually let up a little when play resumed after last year's World Cup. A hat trick of the Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League seemed quite attainable just a few months ago. That did not come to fruition, but the raucous fans pouring out in Naples hardly look disappointed.
The breakthrough that had been hinted over the last couple of years finally happened in 2023. Head coach Luciano Spalletti worked his magic and once again helped elevate a team to new heights. Inter, Juventus and A.C. Milan have all been put on notice.
And the same goes for the law enforcement in Naples, who may want to monitor things just in case. Though, they have probably joined in on this historic celebration themselves.
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