After playing out a tense draw against local rivals Salernitana at their home Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at the weekend, Napoli had to wait to draw 1-1 against Udinese last night in the northeast to claim the Scudetto that has been expected for several weeks now. Finally, the party has really started, and it will be “una festa per i decenni” – a party for the decades – as Napoli celebrate their first title win in 33 years.
Some Neapolitans remember the glory days of Maradona in the late 1980s and early 1990s, while younger fans respect them. Since then, I ciucciarelli (“the little donkeys”) have seen their fair share of loss and heartbreak. Now a new set of heroes arise from Osimhen to Kvaratskhelia.
But there are still plenty of fixtures remaining this season, with other teams near the top vying to secure places in the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, or the UEFA Conference League, and others near the bottom desperate to avoid relegation.
Don’t expect the celebrations in the Bay of Naples to have calmed down by the time the champions host Inter Milan on 21 May. Inter will be hoping to secure a Champions League spot and would be delighted to find Napoli still distracted.
Another key fixture to write in your diaries will be Juventus against AC Milan (28 May* time and date TBD) at the Allianz Stadium. As 5th (Atalanta), 6th (Milan), and 7th (Roma) are all currently sitting on the same points – and Inter in 4th are just 2 points clear – every match will matter to these teams as they fight to decide who will play in which European competition and who will narrowly miss out altogether.