Italy's Napoli Wins First Serie A Title in 33 Years

Facts

• Italian soccer club Napoli won its first Serie A title in 33 years after its 1-1 draw at Udinese on Thursday, having only needed a tie to secure a 16-point lead with five games left and clinch the Scudetto.¹
• Nigerian star Victor Osimhen, Napoli’s leading goal scorer, knotted the game up at 1-1 early in the second half after Udinese held a 1-0 lead after a Sandi Lovric goal. Visiting Napoli fans burst into celebration after Osimhen’s 22nd league goal of the season.²
• This year’s Napoli squad tied with club legend Diego Maradona’s team in the history books by becoming Serie A champions with a record five matches to play. The club’s stadium, Stadio Maradona, was named after the Argentine legend who led Napoli to titles in 1987 and 1990.³
• Back home, Napoli fans celebrated beneath a large mural of Maradona while others flew his likeness on banners and flags at his namesake venue. Napoli coach Luciano Spalleti said that Maradona’s impact and legacy may have had a role in the club’s championship run.⁴
• Celebrations erupted throughout Naples and other parts of Italy as people partied with fireworks, flares, horns, and firecrackers, as some Southern Italians viewed the soccer win as a victory of the Southern spirit over the dominant North.⁵
• More than 200 people were injured in the aftermath of the celebrations, with at least 203 people hospitalized for injuries such as burns, knife wounds, and asthma attacks. Police also said a 26-year-old man was shot and killed in a crowd, but his death was “completely unconnected” to the celebrations.⁶

Sources: ¹ESPN, ²CNN, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴Associated Press, ⁵Reuters, and ⁶Daily Mail.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by News in Germany. A day of celebration turned into a night of horror as scores of people wreaked havoc on the pitch, on the streets, and throughout Naples. Police were supposed to keep order, but the hundreds of injuries and videos of people beating each other with belts show that authorities were unsuccessful. It’s a shame that such calamity followed a joyous event for the people of Naples.
• Narrative B, as provided by Manistee News Advocate. Of course, Napoli fans were excited about their club’s momentous Serie A title, and reports criticizing their celebrations are inaccurate. Napoli fans celebrated in a peaceful manner, and authorities did a great job maintaining order as people celebrated. There may have been firework-related injuries, but emergency rooms were at normal capacity. Also, the tragic shooting of a man was completely unrelated to the night’s festivities.