The signs are too numerous to be ignored by the most Cartesian of Neapolitans, although the species hardly roams the streets at the foot of Vesuvius. In Naples, the preference has always been for the quasi-religious interpretation of coincidences of which the inhabitants are the only witnesses, rather than for the cold analysis of a given situation. Example: Napoli will probably win Serie A and have a good chance of reaching the Champions League final. The solution to the equation would lie somewhere between the 16-point lead over Lazio, the tactical genius of Luciano Spaletti and that of individuals like Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia. But the answer from Mirko, a Neapolitan supporter, is guesswork.
“There are incredible similarities between 1986-87 [l’année du premier titre de champion d’Italie] and this year. For example, to win with the defending champion (Milan) and to be first in the standings. Or, the 1-0 victory at Roma and the first defeat of the championship on January 4, just like in 1987. On January 4, 87 we lost 3-1 in Florence and this year, after the World Cup, we lost 1-0 against Inter, on January 4, 2023. Last point. There was a lot of joy in Naples when Argentina were world champions. Because Maradona, of course. But also because the last time it happened, Napoli were champions the following year. Superstition has reached new heights since the start of the season. »
The reverse also works. Many fans are close to resignation before the C1 quarter-final against AC Milan, despite Rossoneri’s inferiority in the league. And again, it’s less the recent accident in the league [défaite 4-0 à domicile] or the probable absence of Osimhen that the alleged appointment with history planned by the heavens for the Milanese which poses a problem. In the event of qualification, Inter and AC Milan will indeed have the opportunity to compete in the Champions League, 18 years after the legendary round trip to San Siro-Giuseppe Meazza. Materrazzi, Rui Costa, the smoke bombs, all that. Does it come back to you?
Naples is a party
The Scudetto is a formality, so why wait to prepare for the festivities, even if they take place on June 4, the day after the trophy is awarded. The title should be completed at the end of April, or the beginning of May, but, an island of wisdom in the middle of an ocean of magma, it was decided to postpone the final banquet at the last moment to encourage players to stay focused. You never know, as long as we can add a C1 to Calcio and therefore a little more history to history, it may be worth the biting. “Anyway, no one will be able to prevent the players and the supporters from celebrating a minimum on the day of the title”, anticipates Mirko. What the mayor of the city, Gaetano Manfredi, suggests, quoted by the Ansa agency.
It is clear that at first there will be a spontaneous party, a spontaneous enthusiasm in which there is clearly a problem of public order and also of responsibility on the part of citizens. »
The municipality, together with club boss Aurelio De Laurentiis, nevertheless refuses to submit twice to the general bazaar. Thus, for June 4, the people are calling for a parade of the team aboard a double-decker bus, but the authorities imagine spreading the players across the city to channel the crowds. Manfredi: “It will be a polycentric party to involve the whole city. There will be a stage in each municipality in addition to the central stage in Piazza Plebiscito” “We are expecting millions of people, continues our supporter. There are Neapolitans from all over the world who will be present. It will be like Argentina after the World Cup. »
Naples is already a party in which everyone intends to participate. Hotel reservations are climbing, it is rumored that some are full for the hypothetical weekends of the title. In town, we no longer escape references to Napoli. The number 3 is displayed on jerseys, flags and the walls of buildings to announce the arrival of the 3rd Scudetto. A banner extended via dei Tribunali pours into the cinematographic reference by displaying the slogan “Ricomincio da tre” (“I start from three”), to quote the film of the Neapolitan director and actor Massimo Troisi (“The postman”).
Osimhen… on all plates
They are everywhere and for everyone. Especially the players. On the right, a flag glorifying “Kvaradona”, the nickname given to the miracle Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The 22-year-old Georgian could have gotten lost in the Caucasus just a year ago, breaking his contract with Rubin Kazan after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Napoli finally went for him after three months in the country. And since then, Kvara has returned it well.
On the left, kids masked like Victor Osimhen, the club’s official mascot for better and worse: on the occasion of Shrove Tuesday, a child had his face painted black. In this story, the golden palm of bad taste will go to the coach, Italian Roberto Mancini, who had applauded the initiative. There is still work to be done. Much better in taste, especially in the literal sense, the Neapolitan striker has become an inspiration for the local restaurant market. From coffees, to pizzas and desserts, everyone goes there with their hidden specialty. A wink to the colleagues of Sky italia who had no trouble putting together an Osimhen menu.
Short-lived joy for all these beautiful people, the striker should commit to Bayern Munich at the end of the season. Not enough to sign the end of this club, which believed to have lost much bigger last summer by letting slip the bulk of a generation of inmates, those of Mertens, Insigne and, above all, Kalidou Koulibaly. The Napoli president’s downsizing operation was intended to mark the start of a new cycle, as De Laurentiis explained at the time: “AC Milan won the title after a few years of construction and with spending on salaries lower than ours. We should be able to do that too.”
Everything arrives earlier than expected. A victory for a man whose change of course had finished sealing the divorce with his tifosi. To say the club owner can’t set foot in town is hardly an exaggeration, and the hatred is mutual. The ultras are in his eyes “delinquents” to whom he no longer hesitates to put a spoke in the wheels (prohibition of bringing banners and smoke bombs into the stadium, etc.) So that, on June 4, he will be the only craftsman of the 3rd title that Naples will not celebrate.