Napoli wins first Serie A title in 33 years
Napoli won the Italian Serie A title for the first time in 33 years after drawing 1-1 against Udinese. Victor Osimhen, the league’s leading scorer, equalized for Napoli in the 52nd minute, setting off wild celebrations around Naples as well as within the Udine stadium. With five games remaining, the crucial draw gave Napoli an untouchable 16-point advantage. In 1990, Napoli last won the championship.
“It is an amazing feeling, we have waited so many years for this moment,” Osimhen said. “To be able to deliver the Scudetto to the Neapolitans is something that we will never forget in a hurry and will continue to live in our hearts for the rest of our lives.” It was Osimhen’s 46th of his Serie A career, matching former AC Milan player and current Liberia President George Weah as the top African scorers in Italy. Get your Serie A predictions here!
Napoli won the title in the match held at the Diego Maradona Stadium, named after the legendary player who led them to championships in 1987 and 1990. “Napoli, this is for you,” Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti said. “There are people here who will be able to get through difficult moments in their lives because they remember this moment. These people deserve all the joy.”
At 64, Spalletti, who twice won the Coppa Italia with Roma, became the oldest manager to win Serie A. Through the first 15 games of the season, Napoli was unbeaten, including an 11-game winning run. They quickly marked an eight-game winning streak after their first loss, an away defeat to Inter, to jump out in front by 18 points and seize control of the Scudetto.
In the title-deciding match, Udinese’s Sandi Lovric took advantage of the penalty area and opened the scoring at half-time. It was almost another miss for Napoli to clinch the title early after a 1-1 draw against Salernitana last weekend, but the 24-year-old Osimhen sealed the deal in the 52nd minute and scored the decisive goal and his 27th in all competitions this season.
After the final whistle, fans surrounded the field while some Neapolitans sang along to songs by the late local singer-songwriter Pino Daniele. Flares and pyrotechnics were lit off outside the stadium to celebrate the victory. A guy was shot and died in the city, and seven more are said to have been hurt overnight. Chaos also broke out there.
