Naples is a city that has endured hardship and struggle for many years. However, in recent times, the city has seen a remarkable resurgence, led by the local football team, Napoli. Napoli is currently 16 points clear in Serie A, the top division of Italian football, and are on course to win their first title since 1990.
The joy and excitement surrounding Napoli’s potential title win is palpable in the city. Flags celebrating the team’s success hang from balconies, and banners with the words “100% campione” (100% champion) ripple in the breeze. Even the typically superstitious Neapolitans cannot help but acknowledge that this is their year.
However, some worry that if Napoli clinches the title too early, the city will not be able to cope with a party 33 years in the making. If they also win the Champions League, some predict that the “skies will fall”. Regardless, preparations are already being made for a party on 4 June, the final day of the season, when Napoli could potentially secure their title.
The enthusiasm for Napoli’s success has spread beyond just the local community. Tourists and football fans from all over the world are flocking to Naples to witness this historic moment. Expats wanting to celebrate, football fans intrigued by Napoli’s story, and visitors unexpectedly caught up in the excitement are all descending on the city.
The resurgence of Naples is not just about football. The city is experiencing a moment of self-recognition and rediscovery of its greatness. “Naples is experiencing a moment of self-recognition and rediscovery of its greatness,” says author Angelo Forgione. When Maradona inspired Napoli to their first Scudetto in 1987, fans placed a banner outside the city’s largest cemetery proclaiming: “You don’t know what you missed.” Now, a generation too young to remember such glory are living it themselves.
Tributes to Napoli’s players intertwine with endless Maradona artwork. He is everywhere in Naples’ charmingly gritty and dizzyingly chaotic labyrinth of streets – bar windows, bumper stickers, on billboards, and etched across crumbling walls in giant murals. Maradona, despite his relationship with the Neapolitan mafia, brought “justice to the people” after struggles against the north that date back more than a century to the unification of Italy, says culture expert Francesco Carignani.
In addition to football and Maradona, Naples has much to offer. It was once a thriving European capital and remains a city of intriguing architecture, Caravaggio, and, of course, pizza. Most of all, there is an intensity to life in Campania. People here “are first of all Neapolitans and then Italian,” explains Bellini, Napoli’s iconic stadium announcer. They have their own language, culture, and history.
In conclusion, Napoli’s success in football has sparked a resurgence of pride and hope in the city of Naples. The passion for football, the legacy of Maradona, and the city’s rich culture and history have all contributed to this moment of self-recognition and rediscovery of Naples’ greatness.
