Napoli Wins First Serie A Title Since the Days of Argentine Great Maradona
© AP Photo / Andrew Medichini
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Italian football club Napoli won its third Serie A championship on Thursday and its first since 1989-90 season after drawing 1-1 with Udinese.
Udinese’s Slovenian midfielder Sandi Lovric scored on 13th minute of the game, and Napoli’s Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen equialized on 52nd minute.
Napoli now has 80 points and is unreachable for second-placed Lazio after round 33 of Serie A.
This Napoli side will never be forgotten 💙 pic.twitter.com/tiaUoHySnd
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 4, 2023
Osimhen is Serie A top scorer with 22 goals, while Napoli’s Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has completed most assists of the tournament — 10.
“I’m happy for all Napoli fans worldwide,” Osimhen later said. “No one deserves the scudetto (championship) more than Neapolitans — more than us."
In the aftermath of the Thursday win, massive celebrations have kicked off throughout the Italian city, with fireworks and crackers lighting up the night sky as hundreds of fans and locals have taken to the streets.
The current view from our hotel balcony! Never in my life heard anything so loud! The atmosphere in Naples is insane, everyone has been in good sprits! Well done napoli champions 🙌🏻🙌🏻🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/KioJRo7Lb9
— Danielle condon hoyle (@dannicondon) May 4, 2023
I cant get to my hotel let alone sleep #napoli pic.twitter.com/dNHilnlq4X
— foolsrushin (@NPage10) May 4, 2023
The coveted title marks the third for the team in Italy's top division but their first since the days that decorated Argentine footballer Diego Maradona led the time to the championships in 1987 and 1990.
Remarking on the win, Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti told media that the spirit of Maradona was "felt" throughout the match.
“These fans have seen big coaches come and go,” Spalletti said. "They saw Diego Armando Maradona play and perhaps his [impact] is also felt in this success."
The welcomed win came after the team only managed to score two wins in seven games in April, in addition to having been bumped out of the Champions League. In fact, prior to the start of the current season, the team was not even considered a valid contender for the title due to the departure of three of its top tier players: Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and Kalidou Koulibaly.
