S.S.C. Napoli

Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli (pronounced [ˈnaːpoli]), is an Italian professional football club based in Naples, Campania that plays in Serie A, the top flight of Italian football. The club have won two league titles, six Coppa Italia titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and one UEFA Cup.[2][3]

Napoli
Full nameSocietà Sportiva Calcio Napoli S.p.A.
Nickname(s)Gli Azzurri (The Blues)
I Partenopei (The Parthenopeans)
Founded
  • 25 August 1926 (25 August 1926), as Associazione Calcio Napoli[1]
  • 6 September 2004 (2004-09-06), as Napoli Soccer
GroundStadio San Paolo
Capacity54,726
PresidentAurelio De Laurentiis
Head coachGennaro Gattuso
LeagueSerie A
2019–20Serie A, 7th of 20
WebsiteClub website

Formed in 1926, the club saw relatively little success in its early years, winning one Coppa Italia until 1965, where they were refounded. Napoli then saw increased success in the 1980s, after the club acquired Diego Maradona. During his time in Naples, Maradona helped the team win several trophies, which led to the club retiring his number 10 jersey. During this period, Napoli won their sole league titles, in 1987 and 1990. Following his departure, however, Napoli struggled financially, and endured several relegations, prior to being refounded in 2004 by film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis. Under his guise, the club has stabilized, which has led to renewed on-field success, winning the 2012, 2014, and 2020 Coppa Italia titles.

By attendance, Napoli have the fourth biggest fanbase in Italy,[4] and were ranked as the fifth highest-earning football club in Serie A, with $182 million in revenue during the 2017–18 season.[5] In 2018, Forbes estimated the club is the fifth most valuable club in Italy, worth $379 million. Napoli are also one of the associate members of the European Club Association.

Since 1959, the club has played their home games at Stadio San Paolo, and have traditionally worn sky blue shirts and white shorts. The club also have a long-standing rivalry with Roma, with whom they contest the Derby del Sole. The club's anthem is "'O surdato 'nnammurato".[6]

History
Further information: History of S.S.C. Napoli

The first club was founded as Naples Foot-Ball & Cricket Club in 1905 by English sailor William Poths and his associate Hector M. Bayon.[7][8] Neapolitans such as Conforti, Catterina and Amedeo Salsi were also involved, the latter of whom was the club's first president.[9] The original kit of the club was a sky blue and navy blue striped shirt, with black shorts.[10] Naples' first match was a 3–2 win against the English crew of the boat Arabik with goals from William MacPherson, Michele Scafoglio and Léon Chaudoir.[11]

Early into its existence, the Italian Football Championship was limited to just northern clubs, so southern clubs competed against sailors[7] or in cups such as Thomas Lipton's Lipton Challenge Cup. In the cup competed between Naples and Palermo FBC Naples won three finals.[12] The foreign contingent at the club broke off in 1912 to form Internazionale Napoli,[7] in time for both club's debut in the Italian Championship of 1912–13.[13]

Associazione Calcio Napoli
Attila Sallustro in the middle, with Napoli teammates in 1927

Under the presidency of Giorgio Ascarelli, the club changed its name to Associazione Calcio Napoli on 25 August 1926.[14] After a poor start, with a sole point in an entire championship,[15] Napoli was readmitted to Serie A's forerunner, the Divizione Nazionale, by the Italian Football Federation ("FIGC"), and began to improve thanks in part to Paraguayan-born Attila Sallustro, who was the first fully fledged hero to the fans.[16] He was a capable goal-scorer and eventually set the all-time goal-scoring record for Napoli, which was later surpassed by players like Diego Maradona and Marek Hamšík.[17]

Napoli moved to the new Stadio San Paolo in 1959, where they have played since.

Napoli entered the Serie A era under the management of William Garbutt.[18] During Garbutt's six-year stint, the club would be dramatically transformed, frequently finishing in the top half of the table.[15] This included two third-place finishes during the 1932–33 and 1933–34 seasons,[15] with added notables such as Antonio Vojak, Arnaldo Sentimenti and Carlo Buscaglia.[19] However, in the years leading up to World War II, Napoli went into decline, only surviving relegation in 1939–40 by goal average.[15]

Napoli lost a closely contested relegation battle at the end of 1942 and were relegated to Serie B. They moved from the Stadio Giorgio Ascarelli to the Stadio Arturo Collana and remained in Serie B until after the war. When play continued, Napoli earned the right to compete in Serie A,[15] but were relegated after two seasons for a bribery scandal.[20] The club bounced back to ensure top flight football at the start of the 1950s.[21] Napoli moved to their new home ground Stadio San Paolo in 1959. Despite erratic league form with highs and lows during this period, including a further relegation and promotion, Napoli had some cup success when they beat SPAL to lift the Coppa Italia in 1962, with goals from Gianni Corelli and Pierluigi Ronzon.[22] Their fourth relegation cut celebrations short the following season.[2]

Napoli on the rise: Maradona era
Napoli at the start of the 1970s with Dino Zoff, José Altafini, and others

As the club changed their name to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli on 25 June 1964[2] they began to rise up again, gaining promotion in 1964–65. Under the management of former player Bruno Pesaola, they won the Coppa delle Alpi[2] and were back among the elite in Serie A, with consistent top-five finishes.[15] Napoli came very close to winning the league in 1967–68, finishing just behind Milan in second place.[15] Some of the most popular players from this period were Dino Zoff, José Altafini, Omar Sívori and hometown midfielder Antonio Juliano. Juliano would eventually break the appearance records, which still stands today.[19]

The trend of Napoli performing well in the league continued into the 1970s, with third place spots in 1970–71 and 1973–74.[15] Under the coaching of former player Luís Vinício, this gained them entry into the early UEFA Cup competitions. In 1974–75, they reached the third round knocking out Porto 2–0 en route. During the same season, Napoli finished second in Serie A, just two points behind champions Juventus.[15] Solid performances from locally born players such as Giuseppe Bruscolotti, Antonio Juliano and Salvatore Esposito were relied upon during this period, coupled with goals from Giuseppe Savoldi.[19]

After defeating Southampton 4–1 on aggregate to lift the Anglo-Italian League Cup,[23] Napoli were entered into the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup for 1976–77, where they reached the semi-finals, losing 2–1 on aggregate to Anderlecht.[24] The club won their second Coppa Italia trophy in 1975–76, eliminating Milan and Fiorentina en route, before beating rivals Hellas Verona 4–0 in the final.[2] In the Italian league, Napoli were still very much a consistent top six side for much of the late 1970s.[15] Even into the earliest two seasons of the 1980s, the club were performing respectably with a third-place finish in 1980–81. However, by 1983, they had slipped dramatically and were involved in relegation battles.[15]

Napoli broke the world transfer record fee after acquiring Diego Maradona in a €12 million deal from Barcelona on 30 June 1984.[25] The squad was gradually re-built, with the likes of Ciro Ferrara, Salvatore Bagni and Fernando De Napoli filling the ranks.[19] The rise up the tables was gradual, by 1985–86, they had a third-place finish under their belts, but better was yet to come. The 1986–87 season was the landmark in Napoli's history; they won the double, securing the Serie A title by three points and then beating Atalanta 4–0 to lift the Coppa Italia.[2]

Napoli supporters celebrating the team's first scudetto in May 1987

Because a mainland Southern Italian team had never won the league before, this turned Maradona into a cultural, social and borderline religious icon[26] for Neapolitans, which stretched beyond the realms of just football.[26]

Diego Maradona celebrating with the UEFA Cup trophy after beating VfB Stuttgart, May 1989

The club were unsuccessful in the European Cup in the following season and finished runners-up in Serie A. However, Napoli were entered into the UEFA Cup for 1988–89 and won their first major European title.[2] Juventus, Bayern Munich and PAOK were defeated en route to the final, where Napoli beat VfB Stuttgart 5–4 on aggregate, with two goals from Careca and one each from Maradona, Ferrara and Alemão.[27]

Napoli added their second Serie A title in 1989–90, defeating Milan by two points in the title race.[2] However, this was surrounded by less auspicious circumstances as Napoli were awarded two points for a game, when in Bergamo, an Atalanta fan threw a 100 lira coin at Alemão's head.[15] A controversial set of events set off at the 1990 World Cup, when Maradona made comments pertaining to North–South inequality in the country and the risorgimento, asking Neapolitans to root for Argentina in the semi-finals against Italy in Naples.[28]

I don't like the fact that now everybody is asking Neapolitans to be Italian and to support their national team. Naples has always been marginalised by the rest of Italy. It is a city that suffers the most unfair racism.

— Diego Maradona, July 1990

The Stadio San Paolo was the only stadium during the competition where the Argentine national anthem was not jeered,[29] Maradona bowed to the Napoli fans at the end and his country went on to reach the final. However, after the final, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) forced Maradona to take a doping test, which he failed testing positive for cocaine; both Maradona and Napoli staff later claimed it was a revenge plot for events at the World Cup.[26] Maradona was banned for 15 months and would never play for the club again.[26] The club still won the Supercoppa Italiana that year, with a record 5–1 victory against Juventus, but it would be their last major trophy for 22 years. However, in the European Cup, they were eliminated in the second round.[30]

Decline and rebirth

Though the club finished fourth during the 1991–92 season,[15] Napoli gradually went into decline after that season, both financially and on the field. Players such as Gianfranco Zola, Daniel Fonseca, Ciro Ferrara and Careca had all departed by 1994. Nonetheless, Napoli qualified for the 1994–95 UEFA Cup, reaching the third round and in 1996–97, Napoli appeared at the Coppa Italia final, but lost 3–1 to Vicenza.[31] Napoli's league form had dropped lower, and relegation to Serie B came at the end of 1997–98 when they won only two matches all season.[15]

The club returned to Serie A after gaining promotion in the 1999–2000 season, though after a closely contested relegation battle, they were relegated immediately back down the following season.[15] By August 2004, Napoli was declared bankrupt.[32] To secure football in the city, film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis refounded the club under the name Napoli Soccer,[33] as they were not allowed to use their old name. FIGC placed Napoli in Serie C1, where they missed out on promotion after losing 2–1 in play-offs to local rivals Avellino in 2004–05.[2]

Despite the fact Napoli were playing in a low division, they retained higher average attendances than most of the Serie A clubs, breaking the Serie C attendance record with 51,000 at one match.[34] The following season, they secured promotion to Serie B and De Laurentiis brought back the club's history, restoring its name to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli in May 2006.[2] After just one season in Serie B, they were promoted to the top division, along with fellow "sleeping giants" Genoa.[35] In 2010, under manager Walter Mazzarri, Napoli finished in sixth place to qualify for a 2010–11 UEFA Europa League spot.[36] Napoli finished third in the 2010–11 season, qualifying directly to the group stage of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League.[37]

In the 2011–12 season, Napoli ended in fifth place in Serie A, but defeated unbeaten champions Juventus in the Stadio Olimpico to win the Coppa Italia for the fourth time in club history, 25 years after their last cup win. The team finished second in its group of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, progressing to the round of 16, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Chelsea. In 2012–13, Napoli finished in second place in Serie A, the club's best performance since winning the 1989–90 Scudetto. Cavani finished as top scorer in the division with 29 goals, which resulted in him being sold to Paris Saint-Germain for a club-record fee of €64 million.[38]

Napoli celebrating their 2014 Supercoppa Italiana win

In the 2013 close-season, Mazzarri left Napoli and Rafael Benitez became the club's manager.[39] They finished the 2013–14 season by winning the 2014 Coppa Italia Final, their fifth title in the tournament, with a 3–1 win against Fiorentina,[40] as well as qualifying for the Champions League, but missed on playing at group stage as they lost to Athletic Bilbao in play-off round. Their subsequent run in Europe League ended when they lost to FC Dnipro in semi-finals. They finished the 2014–15 season in fifth, with Benitez then signing for Real Madrid and being replaced by Maurizio Sarri.

In Sarri's first season in charge in 2015–16, Napoli finished in 2nd place on 82 points and were knocked out of the Europa League round of 32 against Villarreal. In the following season, Napoli finished in 3rd place on 86 points and were knocked out of the Champions League round of 16 against Real Madrid. This year saw the breakout season for Dries Mertens who scored 34 goals in all competition after he was moved from the left wing to center forward following Milik's torn ACL.

In 2017–18 Napoli challenged for the title all season and finished with a club record 91 points, however the title went to Juventus in the penultimate round of matches.[41] On 23 December 2017, Marek Hamsik overtook Diego Maradona as Napoli's all-time leading scorer after scoring his 115th goal.[42] At the end of the season, Sarri left for Chelsea, succeeded by Carlo Ancelotti in May 2018.[43][44] He managed the club to another second place, but was sacked on 10 December 2019. Gennaro Gattuso was named head coach the next day[45]. On 14 June 2020, Dries Mertens became Napoli's all time top scorer after scoring his 122nd goal in a Coppa Italia semi final match against Inter.[46] Napoli went on to win the 2019–20 Coppa Italia in a penalty shootout against Juventus in the final.[47]

Players

Current squad
As of 01 August 2020[48]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ITA Alex Meret
2 DF  FRA Kévin Malcuit
4 MF  GER Diego Demme
5 MF  BRA Allan
6 DF  POR Mário Rui
8 MF  ESP Fabián Ruiz
9 FW  ESP Fernando Llorente
11 FW  MEX Hirving Lozano
12 MF  MKD Elif Elmas
13 DF  ITA Sebastiano Luperto
14 FW  BEL Dries Mertens (third-captain)
19 DF  SRB Nikola Maksimović
20 MF  POL Piotr Zieliński
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 FW  ITA Matteo Politano (on loan from Inter Milan)
22 DF  ITA Giovanni Di Lorenzo
23 DF  ALB Elseid Hysaj
24 FW  ITA Lorenzo Insigne (captain)
25 GK  COL David Ospina
26 DF  SEN Kalidou Koulibaly
27 GK  GRE Orestis Karnezis
31 DF  ALG Faouzi Ghoulam
34 MF  GER Amin Younes
44 DF  GRE Kostas Manolas
68 MF  SVK Stanislav Lobotka
99 FW  POL Arkadiusz Milik
— FW  NGA Victor Osimhen

Out on loan
As of 1 February 2020

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  ITA Nikita Contini (at Virtus Entella until 30 June 2020)
— DF  ROU Vlad Chiricheș (at Sassuolo until 30 June 2020)
— DF  ITA Filippo Costa (at Bari until 30 June 2021)
— DF  ITA Luigi D'Ignazio (at Carrarese until 30 June 2020)
— DF  ITA Giuseppe Esposito (at Fermana until 30 June 2020)
— DF  ITA Luigi Liguori (at Fermana until 30 June 2020)
— DF  KVX Amir Rrahmani (at Verona until 30 June 2020)
— DF  ITA Lorenzo Tonelli (at Sampdoria until 30 June 2020, obligation to buy)
— MF  ITA Antonio Illuminato (at Pergolettese until 30 June 2020)
— MF  ITA Alfredo Bifulco (at Juve Stabia until 30 June 2020)
— MF  ITA Michael Folorunsho (at Bari until 30 June 2021)
– MF  ITA Gianluca Gaetano (at Cremonese until 30 June 2020)
— MF  FRA Zinédine Machach (at Cosenza until 30 June 2020)
— MF  ITA Francesco Mezzoni (at Pontedera until 30 June 2020)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  ITA Luca Palmiero (at Pescara until 30 June 2020)
— MF  ITA Mario Prezioso (at Cosenza until 30 June 2020)
— MF  CRO Marko Rog (at Cagliari until 30 June 2020)
— FW  ITA Amato Ciciretti (at Empoli until 30 June 2020)
— FW  ITA Raffaele Russo (at Rieti until 30 June 2020)
— FW  ITA Eugenio D'Ursi (at Bari until 30 June 2021)
— FW  ITA Franco Ferrari (at Livorno until 30 June 2020)
— FW  ITA Roberto Inglese (at Parma until 30 June 2020)
— FW  BRA Leandrinho (at Red Bull Bragantino until 30 June 2020)
— FW  ALG Adam Ounas (at Nice until 30 June 2020)
— FW  ITA Gennaro Tutino (at Empoli until 30 June 2020)
— FW  ITA Simone Verdi (at Torino until 30 June 2020, obligation to buy)
— FW  ITA Alessio Zerbin (at Cesena until 30 June 2020)
— FW  ITA Andrea Petagna (at SPAL until 30 June 2020)

Primavera squad
Main article: S.S.C. Napoli Youth Sector

Retired numbers

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
10 FW  ARG Diego Maradona (1984–91)

In the summer of 2000, Napoli retired the jersey number 10 belonged to former club legend Diego Maradona, who played for the club from 1984 to 1991. In order, the last players to wear number 10 were Fausto Pizzi (1995–1996), Beto (in 1996–1997), Igor Protti in 1997–1998 was the last player to play and score a goal with the number 10 shirt in Serie A and Claudio Bellucci in 1998–1999 and 1999–2000 in Serie B. Karl Corneliusson wore the number 10 shirt in 2004-2005 in Serie C. In Serie C the starting players had to wear shirts with the number 1-11

However, for regulatory reasons, the number was reissued on blue shirts 2004 to 2006 Serie C1, a tournament where there is the old numbering from 1 to 11. The last player to wear and score goals with this shirt in an official match was Mariano Bogliacino in the home match of 18 May 2006 against Spezia, valid for the final leg of the Supercoppa di Lega Serie C1; primacy belongs to him also for last appearance in the championship, 12 May 2006 at the home match against Lanciano. As regards exclusively the championship, however, the honour goes to the Argentine footballer Roberto Sosa, the distinction of being the last to wear the 10 at the San Paolo and at the same time to score in the match against Frosinone on 30 April 2006.[49]

Presidents

Below is the official presidential history of Napoli, from when Giorgio Ascarelli took over at the club in 1926, until the present day.[50]

 
Name Years
Giorgio Ascarelli 1926–27
Gustavo Zinzaro 1927–28
Giovanni Maresca 1928–29
Giorgio Ascarelli 1929–30
Giovanni Maresca
Eugenio Coppola		 1930–32
Vincenzo Savarese 1932–36
Achille Lauro 1936–40
Gaetano Del Pezzo 1941
Tommaso Leonetti 1942–43
Luigi Piscitelli 1941–43
Annibale Fienga 1943–45
Vincenzo Savarese 1945–46
  
Name Years
Pasquale Russo 1946–48
Egidio Musollino 1948–51
Alfonso Cuomo 1951–52
Achille Lauro 1952–54
Alfonso Cuomo 1954–63
Luigi Scuotto 1963–64
Roberto Fiore 1964–67
Gioacchino Lauro 1967–68
Antonio Corcione 1968–69
Corrado Ferlaino 1969–71
Ettore Sacchi 1971–72
Corrado Ferlaino 1972–83
Marino Brancaccio 1983
  
Name Years
Corrado Ferlaino 1983–93
Ellenio F. Gallo 1993–95
Vincenzo Schiano di Colella
(honorary president)		 1995–96
Gian Marco Innocenti
(honorary president)		 1997–98
Federico Scalingi
(honorary president)		 1999–2000
Giorgio Corbelli 2000–02
Salvatore Naldi 2002–04
Aurelio De Laurentiis 2004–

Managers

Napoli has had many managers and trainers, some seasons they have had co-managers running the team. Here is a chronological list of them from 1926 onwards:[51]

 
Name Nationality Years
Antonio Kreutzer 1926–27
Bino Skasa 1927
Technical Commission
Rolf Steiger
Giovanni Terrile
Ferenc Molnár


1927–28
Otto Fischer 1928
Giovanni Terrile 1928–29
William Garbutt 1929–35
Károly Csapkay 1935–36
Angelo Mattea 1936–38
Eugen Payer 1938–39
Technical Commission
Amedeo D'Albora
Paolo Jodice
Luigi Castello
Achille Piccini
Nereo Rocco		 1939
Adolfo Baloncieri 1939–40
Antonio Vojak 1940–43
Paulo Innocenti 1943
Raffaele Sansone 1945–47
Giovanni Vecchina 1947–48
Arnaldo Sentimenti 1948
Felice Placido Borel 1948–49
Luigi de Manes 1949
Vittorio Mosele 1949
Eraldo Monzeglio 1949–56
Amedeo Amadei 1956–59
Annibale Frossi 1959
Amedeo Amadei 1959–61
Amedeo Amadei
Renato Cesarini
1961
  
Name Nationality Years
Attila Sallustro 1961
Fioravante Baldi 1961–62
Bruno Pesaola 1962
Bruno Pesaola
Eraldo Monzeglio
1962–63
Roberto Lerici 1963–64
Giovanni Molino 1964
Bruno Pesaola 1964–68
Giuseppe Chiappella 1968–69
Egidio di Costanzo 1969
Giuseppe Chiappella 1969–73
Luis Vinicio 1973–76
Alberto Delfrati
Rosario Rivellino		 1976
Bruno Pesaola 1976–77
Rosario Rivellino 1977
Giovanni di Marzio 1977–78
Luis Vinicio 1978–80
Angelo Sormani 1980
Rino Marchesi 1980–82
Massimo Giacomini 1982
Bruno Pesaola 1982–83
Pietro Santi 1983–84
Rino Marchesi 1984–85
Ottavio Bianchi 1 July 1986 – 30 June 1989
Alberto Bigon 1989–91
Claudio Ranieri 1 July 1991 – 30 June 1993
Ottavio Bianchi 1 November 1992 – 30 June 1993
Marcello Lippi 1 July 1993 – 30 June 1994
Vincenzo Guerini 1 July 1994 – 17 October 1994
Vujadin Boškov
Cané
18 October 1994 – 1995
  
Name Nationality Years
Vujadin Boškov
Aldo Sensibile
1995 – 30 June 1996
Luigi Simoni 1996–97
Vincenzo Montefusco 1997
Bortolo Mutti 1 July 1997 – 6 October 1997
Carlo Mazzone 19 October 1997 – 24 November 1997
Giovanni Galeone 1997–98
Vincenzo Montefusco 1998
Renzo Ulivieri 1998–99
Vincenzo Montefusco 1999
Walter Novellino 1999–2000
Zdeněk Zeman 1 July 2000 – 12 November 2000
Emiliano Mondonico 13 November 2000 – 30 June 2001
Luigi De Canio 1 July 2001 – 30 June 2002
Franco Colomba 1 July 2002 – 16 December 2002
Sergio Buso 2002
Francesco Scoglio 18 December 2002 – 30 June 2003
Franco Colomba 2003
Andrea Agostinelli 19 June 2003 – 9 November 2003
Luigi Simoni 10 November 2003 – 30 June 2004
Gian Piero Ventura 1 July 2004 – 25 January 2005
Edoardo Reja 3 January 2005 – 10 March 2009
Roberto Donadoni 10 March 2009 – 5 October 2009
Walter Mazzarri 6 October 2009 – 20 May 2013
Rafael Benítez 27 May 2013 – 31 May 2015
Maurizio Sarri 11 June 2015 – 23 May 2018
Carlo Ancelotti 23 May 2018 – 10 December 2019
Gennaro Gattuso 11 December 2019 –

Records and statistics
Main article: List of S.S.C. Napoli records and statistics
Main article: List of S.S.C. Napoli players
Marek Hamšík is Napoli's record appearance holder.

Marek Hamšík holds Napoli's official appearance record, having made 520. He also holds the record for league appearances with 408 over the course of 12 years from 2007 to 2019.

The all-time leading goalscorer for Napoli is Dries Mertens with 125 goals.[52]

Diego Maradona finished the season of Serie A as the league's top scorer, known in Italy as the Capocannoniere, in the 1987–88 season with 15 goals.[53] This achievement was matched by Edinson Cavani in 2012–13, and Gonzalo Higuaín in 2015–16.

The record for most goals in the league (also including the Divisione Nazionale tournaments) belongs to Attila Sallustro, with 106 goals,[54] while the highest scorer in Serie A is Antonio Vojak with 102 goals.[54] The record for most goals in a single league season belongs to Gonzalo Higuaín, with 36 in the 2015–16 Serie A.[55]

The biggest ever victory recorded by Napoli was 8–1 against Pro Patria, in the 1955–56 season of Serie A.[15] Napoli's heaviest championship defeat came during the 1927–28 season when eventual champions Torino beat them 11–0.[15]

On 26 July 2016, Gonzalo Higuaín became the third-highest football transfer of all-time and highest ever transfer for an Italian club[56] when he signed for €90 million to Juventus.[57]

On 31 July 2020, Napoli confirmed the signing of Victor Osimhen from Lille for a transfer fee of €70 million, making him Napoli's most expensive signing.[58]

Colours, badge and nicknames

As Naples is a coastal city, the colours of the club have always been derived from the blue waters of the Gulf of Naples.[59] Originally, while using the name Naples FBC, the colours of the club implemented two shades of blue.[60] However, since the 1920s, a singular blue tone has been used in the form of azure. Thus, Napoli share the nickname "Azzurri" with the Italy national team.[61] The shade of blue has been sky blue in many instances.

One of the nicknames of Napoli is "I ciucci", which means "the donkeys" in the local dialect. Napoli were given this name after a particularly poor performance during the 1926–27 season. It was originally meant to be derogatory, as the Neapolitan symbol is a rampant black horse,[62] but the club adopted the donkey as a mascot named "'O Ciuccio".[63]

Napoli's club badge features a large "N" placed within a circle. This crest can be traced back to Internazionale Napoli, which used a similar design on their shirts.[64] Since the club officially adopted the "N badge" as its representative, Napoli have altered it slightly at various times; sometimes it features the club's name around it, sometimes it does not.[65] The main difference between each badge is the shade of blue used. Usually the "N" is white, although it has occasionally been gold.[66]

"Partenopei" is a popular nickname for the club and people from the city of Naples in general.[67] It is derived from Greek mythology where the siren Parthenope tried to enchant Odysseus from his ship to Capri. In the story, Odysseus had his men tie him to the ship's mast so he was able to resist the song of the siren. Consequently, Parthenope, unable to live with the rejection of her love, drowned herself and her body was washed up upon the shore of Naples.[68]

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

[69]

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1978–80 Puma None
1980–81 NR (Ennerre)
1981–82 Snaidero
1982–83 Cirio
1983–84 Latte Berna
1984–85 Linea Time Cirio
1985–88 NR (Ennerre) Buitoni
1988–91 Mars
1991–94 Umbro Voiello
1994–96 Lotto Record Cucine
1996–97 Centrale del Latte di Napoli
1997–99 Nike Polenghi
1999–2000 Peroni
2000–03 Diadora
2003–04 Legea Russo di Cicciano
2004–06 Kappa Sky Captain / Christmas in Love / Manuale d'amore / Mandi
2005–06 Lete
2006–09 Diadora
2009–11 Macron
2011–14 Lete-MSC (European competitions Lete only)
2014–15 Lete-Pasta Garofalo-Kimbo

(European competitions Lete only)

2015–present Kappa

Supporters and rivalries
Main articles: Derby del Sole, Juventus F.C.–S.S.C. Napoli rivalry, and Derby delle Due Sicilie
Napoli ultras at Stadio San Paolo

Napoli is the fourth most supported football club in Italy with around 13% of Italian football fans supporting the club.[4] Like other top clubs in the country, Napoli's fanbase goes beyond the Italian border; it has been estimated by the club that there are around 6 million fans worldwide.[70]

In the morning we went to the San Paolo to warm up, Carlos (Tevez) was telling me about this stadium, but I've played for Barça so I said to myself, it can't be that big of a deal! Yet when I set foot on that pitch I felt something magical, different. In the evening, when there was the anthem of the Champions League, hearing 80,000 people whistling us I realized what a mess we were in! I did play some important matches in my career, but when I heard that cry for the first time my legs were shaking! Well, it was there that I realized that for those people this is not just a team, it is a visceral love, like the one between a mother and a son! It was the only time I remained on the pitch after losing a match, just to enjoy the show.[71]

— Yaya Touré

Unlike other Italian cities such as Genoa, Milan, Rome and Turin, Napoli is the only major football club in the city and therefore there is no derby in the strict sense of the term. Nevertheless, the fans of Napoli do co-star in two particular derbies in Italy against other regional teams: Derby della Campania generally refers to a rivalry with regional clubs, mainly Avellino and Salernitana.[72]

Napoli have a famous and long-standing friendship with the fans of Genoa.[73] It also has a smaller friendship with the fans of Bulgarian club Lokomotiv Plovdiv; Napoli gave birth to the name "Napoletani Ultras Plovdiv", which is how the friendship arose.[74] Other friendships exist with Catania, Palermo,[75] Borussia Dortmund,[76] Everton, Paris Saint-Germain,[77] and Celtic.[78]

Finances

S.S.C. Napoli was expelled from the professional league in 2004. Thanks to Article 52 of N.O.I.F., the sports title was transferred to Napoli Soccer (later the new Napoli) in the same year, while the old Napoli was liquidated. In the second last season before bankruptcy, the club was partially saved by the non-standard accounting practice of amortization after Silvio Berlusconi, owner of Milan and prime minister of Italy, introduced Italian Law 91/1981, Article 18B.[79]

Since re-foundation in 2004, the clubs large numbers of supporter provided the main source of income, particularly through gate revenues and TV rights. Napoli made an aggregate profit in 2006–07 Serie B.[80] They have continued to be profitable since returning to Serie A.[81] Napoli equity in 2005 was a negative of €261,466., which the club started from €3 million capital. By 2010 the equity was at €25,107,223 and Napoli achieved self-sustainability.

S.S.C. Napoli S.p.A.
separate financial statements (source)
YearTurnoverResultTotal AssetsNet AssetsRe-capitalization
S.S.C. Napoli S.p.A. (P.I. 03486600632) exchange rate €1 = L1936.27
1999–2000 Serie B[82]€25,120,308*#€203,378*[83]€111,556,811*€5,952,921*
2000–01 Serie A[82] €54,966,464*# (€2,036,451)* €154,624,699* €3,896,132*€0
2001–02 Serie B[84] €21,183,736*# (€28,856,093)* €92,721,662* (€2,166,997)* ~€22.8 million
2002–03 Serie B[79] €20,428,522*# (€13,754,506)*¶ €67,994,171*¶ (€966,735)*¶ ~€15 million
2003–04 Serie BNot available due to bankruptcy
S.S.C. Napoli S.p.A. (P.I. 04855461218) startup capital: €3 million**
2004–05 Serie C1[85]€11,174,000(€7,061,463) €37,117,126 (€261,466)€3,800,000
2005–06 Serie C1[86] €12,068,630 (€9,088,780) €37,299,498 €211,220 €9,561,466
2006–07 Serie B[80] €41,411,837 €1,419,976 €47,917,274 €1,916,975 €288,780
2007–08 Serie A[81] €88,428,490 €11,911,041 €86,244,038 €13,829,015 €1,000
2008–09 Serie A[87] €108,211,134 €10,934,520 €81,199,725 €24,763,537 €0
2009–10 Serie A[88] €110,849,458 €343,686 €117,237,581 €25,107,223 €0
€131,476,940 €4,197,829 €110,053,332 €29,305,052
2011–12 Serie A €155,929,550 €14,720,757 €138,168,981 €44,025,810
2012–13 Serie A €151,922,436 €8,073,447 €136,748,114 €52,099,258
2013–14 Serie A €237,034,664 €20,217,304 €215,764,185 €72,316,563
2014–15 Serie A
Aggregate
Average

Honours

National titles

European titles
Further information: S.S.C. Napoli in European football

Minor titles
  • Winners (1): 1976
  • Coppa delle Alpi
  • Winners (1): 1966

UEFA club coefficient ranking
As of 20 June 2020[90]
RankTeamPoints
14 Chelsea83.000
15 Roma80.000
16 Napoli77.000
17 Lyon77.000
18 Shakhtar Donetsk77.000

League history
  • 1926–1929 Divisione Nazionale (1st tier)
  • 1929–1942 Serie A (1st tier)
  • 1942–1943 Serie B (2nd tier)
  • 1943–1946 No contests (World War II)
  • 1946–1948 Serie A (1st tier)
  • 1948–1950 Serie B (2nd tier) – Champions: 1950
  • 1950–1961 Serie A (1st tier)
  • 1961–1962 Serie B (2nd tier)
  • 1962–1963 Serie A (1st tier)
  • 1963–1965 Serie B (2nd tier)
  • 1965–1998 Serie A (1st tier) – Champions: 1987, 1990
  • 1998–2000 Serie B (2nd tier)
  • 2000–2001 Serie A (1st tier)
  • 2001–2004 Serie B (2nd tier)
  • 2004–2006 Serie C1 (3rd tier) – Champions: 2006
  • 2006–2007 Serie B (2nd tier)
  • 2007–present Serie A (1st tier)
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See also

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