SSC Napoli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Napoli

Full name	Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli S.p.A.
Nickname(s)	Gli Azzurri (The Blues) I Partenopei (The Parthenopeans) I Ciucciarelli (The Little Donkeys)
Short name	SSC Napoli
Founded	25 August 1926; 98 years ago (25 August 1926), as Associazione Calcio Napoli 6 September 2004; 20 years ago (6 September 2004), as Napoli Soccer then SSC Napoli
Ground	Stadio Diego Armando Maradona
Ground Capacity	54,725
Owner	Filmauro S.r.l.
President	Aurelio De Laurentiis
Head coach	Antonio Conte
League	Serie A
2024–25	Serie A, 1st of 20 (champions)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, often called Napoli, is a professional football club from Naples, Italy. They play in Serie A, which is the top football league in Italy. Napoli has won many important trophies. They have won the Serie A title four times, the Coppa Italia six times, the Supercoppa Italiana twice, and the UEFA Cup once. Napoli are the current Italian champions, having won the 2024–25 Serie A title.

The club started in 1926 as Associazione Calcio Napoli. This happened when two older clubs, US Internazionale Napoli and Naples Foot-Ball Club, joined together. In their early years, Napoli did not win many big trophies. Their first major win was the Coppa Italia in 1962. The team became much more successful in the late 1970s and especially in the 1980s. This was after they signed the legendary player Diego Maradona in 1984.

With Maradona, Napoli won their first two league titles in 1987 and 1990. They also won the Coppa Italia in 1987, the Supercoppa Italiana in 1990, and their only European trophy, the UEFA Cup, in 1989. After Maradona left, Napoli faced financial problems and even went bankrupt.

In 2004, film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis restarted the club. Under his leadership, Napoli returned to Serie A and began winning again. They won the Coppa Italia three more times (in 2012, 2014, and 2020). They also won the Supercoppa Italiana in 2014 and two more Serie A titles in 2023 and 2025.

Napoli has the fourth-largest fan base in Italy. In 2018, Forbes magazine said Napoli was the fifth most valuable club in Italy. The club plays its home games at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, which was renamed after Diego Maradona in 2020. Napoli's home colors are sky blue shirts, white shorts, and sky blue socks. Their away colors are usually white. Napoli has rivalries with several teams, including Juventus and Roma. The club's anthem is a popular song by Neapolitan singer Nino D'Angelo.

Club History: How Napoli Began

Early Days of Neapolitan Football

The "Naples F.C." team in 1906, a club that helped form Napoli.

Even though Napoli officially started in 1926, its roots go back to 1905. That year, an English sailor named William Poths and his friend Hector M. Bayon founded the "Naples Foot-Ball & Croquet Club." The first president was Amedeo Salsi. The team's first uniform was a sky blue and navy blue striped shirt with black shorts.

At first, the Italian Football Championship was only for clubs in Northern Italy. So, southern clubs played against sailors or in special cups like the Thomas Lipton's Lipton Challenge Cup. Naples FBC won this cup three times against Palermo FBC.

In 1911, some foreign players left to form Internazionale Napoli. This new team wore blue shirts with white shorts. Both Naples FBC and Internazionale Napoli played in the Italian Championship starting in 1912–13. They each won a southern Italian title and played in the national semi-finals. They were supposed to play each other for the southern title in 1914–15, but World War I stopped the game.

Merging to Form Internaples

Because of money problems, the two rival clubs, Naples FBC and Internazionale Napoli, merged on October 2, 1922. They became the "Foot-Ball Club Internazionale-Naples," or "FBC Internaples." The new club's uniform colors came from both old teams: the sky blue from Naples FBC's shirts and the white shorts from Internazionale Napoli.

Many people saw Internaples as a continuation of Internazionale Napoli. The team played at Internazionale Napoli's stadium and kept their nickname, Gli Azzurri (The Blues). Internaples was also called I Puledri (the foals).

Internaples joined the top league, the Prima Divisione Lega Sud. Before the merger, both old clubs had lost their strong position to teams like Puteolana and Savoia. Even with the combined strength, Savoia was still the best team in southern Italy. Internaples reached the semi-finals of Lega Sud twice and the finals in 1925–26. This earned them a spot in the new Divisione Nazionale for the next season.

Birth of Associazione Calcio Napoli

On August 25, 1926, under President Giorgio Ascarelli, Internaples changed its name to Associazione Calcio Napoli. This was likely due to pressure from the government to make the club more "Italian." The team also moved to a new stadium, the Stadio Militare dell'Arenaccia.

After a very tough start, Napoli began to improve. A Paraguayan-born player named Attila Sallustro became the first big hero for the fans. He scored many goals and held the club's goal-scoring record for a long time. Later, players like Diego Maradona and Marek Hamšík broke his record.

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

Napoli joined the Serie A league under manager William Garbutt. During his six years, the club greatly improved, often finishing in the top half of the league. They finished third twice, in 1932–33 and 1933–34. Important players from this time included Antonio Vojak and Carlo Buscaglia. However, before World War II, Napoli's performance declined, and they were almost relegated in 1939–40.

In 1942, Napoli was relegated to Serie B. They moved from the Stadio Giorgio Ascarelli to the Stadio Arturo Collana and stayed in Serie B until after the war.

Post-War Success and First Trophies

Football started again in 1945. Napoli won the Centro-Sud Serie A-B and was promoted to Serie A. However, they were relegated again after two seasons because of a scandal. The club then won the Serie B title, returning to the top league in the 1950s. In 1959, Napoli moved to their new home stadium, Stadio San Paolo.

Even though their league performance was up and down, Napoli won their first major trophy in 1962. They beat SPAL to win the Coppa Italia, with goals from Gianni Corelli and Pierluigi Ronzon. This made Napoli the first team to win the Coppa Italia while playing in Serie B. They were promoted to Serie A that same season, but were relegated again the very next season.

The Club's New Name and Rise

On June 25, 1964, the club changed its name to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli. They were promoted back to Serie A in 1964–65. Under former player Bruno Pesaola as manager, they won the Coppa delle Alpi and became one of the top teams in Serie A, often finishing in the top five. Napoli almost won the league in 1967–68, finishing second behind Milan. Famous players from this time included Dino Zoff, José Altafini, and local midfielder Antonio Juliano, who still holds the record for most appearances for the club.

Consistent Performance and Second Coppa Italia

Napoli in the early 1970s with Dino Zoff and José Altafini.

Napoli continued to perform well in the 1970s, finishing third in 1970–71 and 1973–74. This allowed them to play in the early UEFA Cup competitions. In 1974–75, they reached the third round. That same season, Napoli finished second in Serie A, just two points behind Juventus. Local players like Giuseppe Bruscolotti and Antonio Juliano were key, along with goals from Giuseppe Savoldi.

The club won their second Coppa Italia trophy in 1975–76. They beat Hellas Verona 4–0 in the final. That season, they also won the 1976 Anglo-Italian League Cup by defeating Southampton. Napoli reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1976–77. In the Italian league, Napoli remained a strong team in the late 1970s and early 1980s, finishing third in 1980–81. However, by 1983, they were struggling and fighting to avoid relegation.

The Maradona Era: Napoli's Golden Age

Napoli broke the world transfer record when they bought Diego Maradona from Barcelona for €12 million on June 30, 1984. The team slowly got stronger with new players like Ciro Ferrara, Salvatore Bagni, and Fernando De Napoli. By 1985–86, they finished third.

Napoli fans celebrating the team's first league title in May 1987.

The 1986–87 season was a huge moment for Napoli. With the amazing attacking players Maradona, Bruno Giordano, and Careca (nicknamed MaGiCa), Napoli became only the third Italian team to win the double. They won the Serie A title and then beat Atalanta 4–0 to win the Coppa Italia.

Because no team from Southern Italy had ever won the league before, Maradona became a huge hero in Naples. His fame went beyond just football.

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

The next season, the club did not do well in the European Cup and finished second in Serie A. However, Napoli played in the UEFA Cup in 1988–89 and won their first big European trophy. They beat teams like Juventus and Bayern Munich on their way to the final. In the final, Napoli defeated VfB Stuttgart 5–4 over two games, with goals from Careca, Maradona, Ferrara, and Alemão.

Napoli won their second Serie A title in 1989–90, beating Milan by two points. This win had a bit of controversy. In a game in Bergamo, an Atalanta fan threw a coin at Alemão's head, and Napoli was awarded two points for the incident.

At the 1990 World Cup, Maradona caused some debate. He spoke about how Southern Italy was treated unfairly compared to the North. He asked Neapolitans to support Argentina in the semi-finals against Italy, which was played in Naples. The Stadio San Paolo was the only stadium where the Argentine National Anthem was not booed. Maradona bowed to the Napoli fans after the game, and Argentina reached the finals.

After the World Cup finals, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) made Maradona take a drug test, which he failed. He was banned from playing for 15 months and never played for Napoli again. The club still won the Supercoppa Italiana that year, beating Juventus 5–1. This was their last major trophy for 22 years. In the European Cup, they were knocked out early.

Decline and Rebirth

Napoli finished fourth in the 1991–92 season, but after that, the club slowly declined both financially and on the field. Key players like Gianfranco Zola and Careca left by 1994. Napoli still played in the 1994–95 UEFA Cup and reached the third round. In 1996–97, Napoli reached the Coppa Italia finals but lost 3–1 to Vicenza. Napoli's youth team, however, won the Coppa Italia Primavera that season.

Napoli's league performance got worse, and they were relegated to Serie B at the end of 1997–98, winning only two matches all season. The club returned to Serie A after being promoted in the 1999–2000 season, but they were relegated again the very next season. By August 2004, Napoli was officially bankrupt.

To keep football alive in the city, film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis restarted the club under the name Napoli Soccer. They were not allowed to use their old name until the next season. The FIGC placed Napoli in Serie C1, which is a lower league. They missed out on promotion in 2004–05 after losing in the play-offs to local rivals Avellino.

Even though Napoli was in a lower division, they still had more fans attending their games than most Serie A clubs. They even broke the Serie C attendance record with 51,000 fans at one match.

Napoli's Comeback

The next season, Napoli earned promotion to Serie B. De Laurentiis brought back the club's history, changing its name back to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli in May 2006. After just one season in Serie B, they were promoted to the top division, Serie A, along with Juventus and Genoa.

In 2010, under manager Walter Mazzarri, Napoli finished sixth, qualifying for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. Napoli then finished third in the 2010–11 season, which meant they qualified directly for the group stage of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League.

In the 2011–12 season, Napoli finished fifth in Serie A. However, they beat unbeaten champions Juventus to win the Coppa Italia for the fourth time, 25 years after their last cup win. In the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, they finished second in their group and reached the round of 16, where they were knocked out by Chelsea.

In 2012–13, Napoli finished second in Serie A. This was their best performance since winning the 1989–90 league title. Edinson Cavani was the top scorer in the league with 29 goals. He was then sold to Paris Saint-Germain for a club-record fee of €64 million.

Napoli celebrating their 2014 Supercoppa Italiana win.

In 2013, Mazzarri left Napoli, and Rafael Benítez became the new manager. They won the 2014 Coppa Italia final in the 2013–14 season, their fifth Coppa Italia title, by beating Fiorentina 3–1. They also qualified for the Champions League but lost to Athletic Bilbao in the play-off round. Their run in the Europa League ended in the semi-finals. They finished the 2014–15 season in fifth place. Benítez then left for Real Madrid and was replaced by Maurizio Sarri.

In Sarri's first season, 2015–16, Napoli finished second with 82 points. They were knocked out of the Europa League in the round of 32. The next season, Napoli finished third with 86 points and reached the Champions League round of 16. This season saw Dries Mertens become a star, scoring 34 goals after moving to play as a central forward.

In the 2017–18 season, Napoli fought for the league title all season and set a club record of 91 points. However, Juventus won the title in the end. On December 23, 2017, Marek Hamšík became Napoli's all-time leading scorer, passing Diego Maradona. Sarri left for Chelsea, and Carlo Ancelotti took over in May 2018. Napoli finished second again under Ancelotti, but he was sacked in December 2019 after a poor run of results. Gennaro Gattuso became the new head coach. On June 14, 2020, Dries Mertens became Napoli's all-time top scorer. Napoli went on to win the 2019–20 Coppa Italia in a penalty shoot-out against Juventus in the final.

In December 2020, Napoli renamed their stadium San Paolo to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to honor the club legend after he passed away. Napoli finished fifth in Serie A that season, just missing a Champions League spot.

In the 2021–22 season, Luciano Spalletti became head coach and led the team to third place in Serie A, bringing Champions League football back to Napoli after two years.

Winning the Scudetto Again

In the 2022–23 season, Napoli won the Serie A title for the first time since the 1989–90 season. This was their third league title overall, secured after a 1–1 draw against Udinese on May 4, 2023. In the Champions League, Spalletti led them to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, where they lost to fellow Serie A team Milan.

The 2023–24 season was very tough for the club. They had three different coaches and finished 10th in the league. In Europe, they made it past the group stage of the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League but were knocked out by Barcelona in the round of 16.

For the 2024–25 season, the club signed Antonio Conte to try and win the title again. After a tough start, Napoli quickly improved. They kept their strong form and won their fourth league title, their second in three years, by beating Cagliari Calcio 2-0 on the final day. This cemented Napoli's place as a top team in Serie A.

Club Staff and Leadership

Antonio Conte is the current head coach of Napoli.

Napoli has a team of staff who help the club run smoothly. This includes the Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Goalkeeping Coaches, and others who work with the players.

Club Presidents

Since 1926, many people have been president of Napoli. Here is a list of them:

Club Managers

Many managers and coaches have led Napoli since 1926.

Name Nationality    Years    Antonio Kreutzer [de] 1926–1927 Bino Skasa 1927 Technical Commission Rolf Steiger Giovanni Terrile [it] Ferenc Molnár 1927–1928 Otto Fischer 1928 Giovanni Terrile [it] 1928–1929 William Garbutt 1929–1935 Károly Csapkay 1935–1936 Angelo Mattea 1936–1938 Eugen Payer [it] 1938–1939 Technical Commission Amedeo D'Albora Paolo Jodice Luigi Castello Achille Piccini Nereo Rocco 1939 Adolfo Baloncieri 1939–1940 Antonio Vojak 1940–1943 Paulo Innocenti 1943 Raffaele Sansone 1945–1947 Giovanni Vecchina 1947–1948 Arnaldo Sentimenti 1948 Felice Placido Borel 1948–1949 Luigi De Manes [it] 1949 Vittorio Mosele [it] 1949 Eraldo Monzeglio 1949–1956 Amedeo Amadei 1956–1959 Annibale Frossi 1959 Amedeo Amadei 1959–1961 Amedeo Amadei 1961 Renato Cesarini Attila Sallustro 1961 Fioravante Baldi [it] 1961–1962 Bruno Pesaola 1962 Bruno Pesaola 1962–1963 Eraldo Monzeglio Roberto Lerici 1963–1964 Giovanni Molino [it] 1964 Bruno Pesaola 1964–1968 Giuseppe Chiappella 1968–1969 Egidio Di Costanzo [it] 1969 Giuseppe Chiappella 1969–1973 Luís Vinício 1973–1976 Alberto Delfrati [it] 1976 Rosario Rivellino [it] Bruno Pesaola 1976–1977 Rosario Rivellino [it] 1977 Gianni Di Marzio 1977–1978 Luís Vinício 1978–1980 Angelo Sormani 1980 Rino Marchesi 1980–1982 Massimo Giacomini 1982 Bruno Pesaola 1982–1983 Pietro Santin [it] 1983–1984 Rino Marchesi 1984–1985

Name Nationality    Years    Ottavio Bianchi 1 July 1986 – 30 June 1989 Alberto Bigon 1989–1991 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 (Jarbas Faustinho) 18 October 1994 – 1995 Vujadin Boškov Aldo Sensibile 1995 – 30 June 1996 Luigi Simoni 1996–1997 Vincenzo Montefusco 1997 Bortolo Mutti 1 July 1997 – 6 October 1997 Carlo Mazzone 19 October 1997 – 24 November 1997 Giovanni Galeone 1997–1998 Vincenzo Montefusco 1998 Renzo Ulivieri 1998–1999 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 Franco 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 – 23 May 2021 Luciano Spalletti 29 May 2021 – 14 June 2023 Rudi Garcia 15 June 2023 – 14 November 2023 Walter Mazzarri 14 November 2023 – 19 February 2024 Francesco Calzona 19 February 2024 – 5 June 2024 Antonio Conte 5 June 2024 –

Napoli Players

Current Team Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Alex Meret 4 DF Alessandro Buongiorno 5 DF Juan Jesus 6 MF Billy Gilmour 7 FW David Neres 8 MF Scott McTominay 9 FW Noah Okafor (on loan from Milan) 11 FW Romelu Lukaku 12 GK Claudio Turi 13 DF Amir Rrahmani 14 GK Nikita Contini 15 MF Philip Billing (on loan from Bournemouth) 16 DF Rafa Marín

No. Position Player 17 DF Mathías Olivera 18 FW Giovanni Simeone 21 FW Matteo Politano 22 DF Giovanni Di Lorenzo (captain) 26 FW Cyril Ngonge 29 MF Luis Hasa 30 DF Pasquale Mazzocchi 37 DF Leonardo Spinazzola 68 MF Stanislav Lobotka 81 FW Giacomo Raspadori 96 GK Simone Scuffet (on loan from Cagliari) 99 MF Frank Anguissa

Napoli Youth Team (Primavera)

No. Position Player 19 DF Mattia Esposito 60 MF Francesco Gioielli

Players on Loan to Other Clubs

No. Position Player GK Elia Caprile (at Cagliari until 30 June 2025) DF Luigi D'Avino (at Gubbio until 30 June 2025) DF Francesco Mezzoni (at Perugia until 30 June 2025) DF Natan (at Real Betis until 30 June 2025) DF Nosa Edward Obaretin (at Bari until 30 June 2025) DF Alessandro Zanoli (at Genoa until 30 June 2025) MF Jens Cajuste (at Ipswich Town until 30 June 2025) MF Michael Folorunsho (at Fiorentina until 30 June 2025) MF Gianluca Gaetano (at Cagliari until 30 June 2025) MF Gennaro Iaccarino (at Gubbio until 30 June 2025) MF Jesper Lindstrøm (at Everton until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player MF Matteo Marchisano (at Cavese until 30 June 2025) MF Coli Saco (at Bari until 30 June 2025) MF Antonio Vergara (at Reggiana until 30 June 2025) MF Alessio Zerbin (at Venezia until 30 June 2025) MF Alessandro Spavone (at Guidonia until 30 June 2025) FW Giuseppe Ambrosino (at Frosinone until 30 June 2025) FW Walid Cheddira (at Espanyol until 30 June 2025) FW Antonio Cioffi (at Rimini until 30 June 2025) FW Giuseppe D'Agostino (at Giugliano until 30 June 2025) FW Victor Osimhen (at Galatasaray until 30 June 2025) FW Lorenzo Sgarbi (at Juve Stabia until 30 June 2025)

Retired Jersey Numbers

Jersey number 10, retired in 2000 as a tribute to Diego Maradona.

No. Position Player 10 FW Diego Maradona (1984–1991)

In the year 2000, Napoli decided to retire the number 10 jersey. This was done to honor their former club legend, Diego Maradona, who played for the team from 1984 to 1991. The last players to wear the number 10 before it was retired were Fausto Pizzi, Beto, Igor Protti, and Claudio Bellucci.

However, for a short time from 2004 to 2006, the number 10 jersey was used again in the Serie C1 league. This was because the rules of that league required numbers 1 to 11 to be used, without player names printed on them. The last player to wear and score goals with the number 10 shirt in an official match was Mariano Bogliacino in 2006.

Napoli's Culture and Identity

Team Colors, Badge, and Nicknames

Naples is a city by the sea, so the club's colors have always been inspired by the blue waters of the Gulf of Naples. When the club was first called Naples FBC, they used two shades of blue. But since the 1920s, they have used a single blue color, called azure. This is why Napoli shares the nickname "Azzurri" (The Blues) with the Italian national team. The blue color is often a sky blue shade.

Napoli usually wears azure (sky blue) shirts with white shorts for home games. For away games, they typically wear white shirts with white or blue shorts.

One of Napoli's nicknames is "I ciucci", which means "the donkeys" in the Neapolitan language. This name was given to Napoli after a very poor game in the 1926–27 season. It was meant to be an insult because the symbol of Naples is a black horse. But the club decided to adopt the donkey as a mascot, calling it "'O Ciuccio".

Napoli's first badge had a horse on top of a football with the letters "ACN" around it. The current club badge has a large "N" inside a circle. This design comes from Internazionale Napoli, one of the clubs that merged to form Napoli. Napoli has changed the badge slightly over the years, sometimes adding the club's name around the "N". The "N" is usually white, but it was sometimes gold before 1980.

"Partenopei" is another popular nickname for the club and for people from Naples. It comes from Greek mythology. The siren Parthenope tried to charm Odysseus from his ship. Odysseus had his men tie him to the ship's mast so he could resist her song. Because her love was rejected, Parthenope drowned herself, and her body washed up on the shore of Naples.

Napoli Fans and Rivalries

Napoli Supporters

Napoli ultras at Stadio San Paolo.

Napoli is the fourth most supported football club in Italy. About 13% of Italian football fans support the club. Napoli's fans are not just in Italy; in 2018, the club said they had over 35 million supporters worldwide.

The main fan groups of Napoli are called ultra groups. Some of these are Fedayn EAM 1979, Ultras Napoli, Mastiffs, and Teste Matte. Napoli fans have sometimes cheered so loudly that it registered as small earthquakes on special machines at the University of Naples Federico II.

Team Rivalries

Unlike other big Italian cities, Naples only has one major football club. So, there isn't a local derby in the same way as in other cities. Napoli's most intense rivalries are with Roma, known as the Derby del Sole (Derby of the Sun), and with the main northern team, Juventus.

Since Napoli is one of the most important southern Italian teams, they have many rivalries with northern teams. These include Milan, Internazionale, Atalanta BC, and Hellas Verona. They also have a rivalry with Lazio from Rome. The Derby Mezzogiorno (Midday Derby) is played against Bari, and the Derby Bourbon is played against Foggia.

The Derby del Sud Italia (Derby of Southern Italy) against Catanzaro was a very important rivalry in the 1970s. Napoli fans also have two special regional derbies in Italy: the Derby della Campania, usually against other clubs from the Campania region like Avellino and Salernitana.

Friendly Rivalries and Friendships

Napoli has a "friendly rivalry" with Palermo, called the Derby delle Due Sicilie (Derby of the Two Sicilies). This name refers to the historical connection of the former Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Another friendly rivalry is with Catania, known as the Derby del Vulcano (Volcano Derby), because of Mount Vesuvius near Naples and Mount Etna near Catania.

Napoli also has friendships with teams outside Italy, such as Borussia Dortmund, Celtic, and Lokomotiv Plovdiv. Napoli used to have a famous friendship with the fans of Genoa, but this friendship ended in 2019. Napoli also once had a friendship with Roma.

Club Finances

S.S.C. Napoli was removed from the professional league in 2004 due to financial issues. However, thanks to a special rule, the club's sports rights were transferred to Napoli Soccer (which later became the "new" Napoli) in the same year. The old company that ran Napoli was closed down.

Since the club was restarted in 2004, the large number of supporters has been the main source of money for the club. This comes especially from ticket sales and TV rights. Napoli started making a profit again in the 2006–07 Serie B season. They have continued to be profitable since returning to Serie A. By 2010, Napoli was financially stable.

Team Uniforms and Sponsors

Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors

Napoli's 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) – Champions: 2023, 2025

Napoli's Trophies and Achievements

Source:

Other Titles Won by Napoli

• Coppa delle Alpi
  • Winners: (1) 1966
• Anglo-Italian League Cup
  • Winners: (1) 1976

Napoli's Records and Statistics

Marek Hamšík holds Napoli's record for most appearances.

Marek Hamšík has played the most official games for Napoli, with 520 appearances. He also holds the record for most league appearances, playing 408 games over 12 years from 2007 to 2019.

The player who has scored the most goals for Napoli is Dries Mertens, with 148 goals. He also holds the record for most league goals, with 113.

Diego Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A, known as the Capocannoniere, in the 1987–88 season with 15 goals. This achievement was also reached by Edinson Cavani in 2012–13, Gonzalo Higuaín in 2015–16, and Victor Osimhen in 2022–23.

The record for most goals scored in a single league season belongs to Gonzalo Higuaín, who scored 36 goals in the 2015–16 Serie A season.

Napoli's biggest ever victory was 8–1 against Pro Patria in the 1955–56 Serie A season. Napoli's heaviest defeat in a championship game was 11–0 against Torino in the 1927–28 season.

On July 26, 2016, Gonzalo Higuaín's transfer to Juventus for €90 million became one of the most expensive football transfers of all time and the highest ever for an Italian club.

On July 31, 2020, Napoli signed Victor Osimhen from Lille for €70 million. This made him Napoli's most expensive signing in the club's history.

Images for kids

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  Napoli's current club crest.

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  Team of "Naples F.C.", predecessor of current club, in 1906.

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

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

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

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  Antonio Conte is the current head coach of the club.

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  Jersey number 10, retired in 2000 as tribute to Diego Maradona.

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  Marek Hamšík is Napoli's record appearance holder.

See also

In Spanish: Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli para niños

• European Club Association
• Napoli (futsal)