A league: Udinese-Naples 1-1 THE CHRONICLE
By drawing 1-1 at Udinese’s home the Naples is champion of Italy five days after the deadline. Victor Osimhen responded to Lovric’s goal in the first half at the start of the second half. The equalizer that meant the mathematical certainty of winning the Scudetto and the celebration of the Neapolitan fans.
Clashes occurred on the pitch when a few dozen Udinese fans took to the pitch where a peaceful pitch invasion by Napoli fans was taking place. After a few skirmishes with the Azzurri supporters who withdrew and the action of the police, the situation slowly returned to normal.
The time has come, Napoli are champions of Italy for the third time in its history. Friuli, even if almost entirely decked out in blue, is not Maradona, but that’s okay, because finally the real party for the Scudetto can finally begin. Napoli had to go as far as Udine to put the seal on an amazing, extraordinary season, conquering the decisive point against Udinese, and not without difficulty, five days from the end. Osimhen’s goal at the start of the second half – and who else? – canceled Lovric’s first half and put an end to the spasmodic wait for the start of the celebrations and from the North East to Campania, but also throughout Italy where there is a blue heart. The final whistle opened the curtain on an unforgettable night, which will in any case be the prologue to a program of celebrations which will culminate on 4 June, with the last day of the championship. After missing the match point last Sunday against Salernitana, which would have given Luciano Spalletti’s team the absolute record of being crowned champion six games early, Napoli also risked having to postpone the appointment with the historic milestone that was built with an exceptional season in terms of quality of play, continuity and competitive fury, which could not fail to leave some aftermath.
Naples, Piazza Carita’ explodes with Osimhen’s goal
To jump the last obstacle, Spalletti fielded the best team possible, also considering the absences of Mario Rui and Politano, with Ndombele starting in midfield in place of Zielinski and Elmas lined up in attack with the champions Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia. In a predictable script, with the Azzurri in constant control of the game and Udinese very covered, Osimehn was immediately among the most active, but at the first opportunity it was the Bianconeri who broke the deadlock, in the 13th minute, with Lovric set free in the area to aim and hit the door to the left Meret. After a moment of disarray, Napoli threw themselves forward and almost got themselves a penalty with Kvara for a contrast judged to be regular by Abisso and by the check to the Var. Under the pressure of the vast majority of the 25,000 fans, without counting the 50,000 at Maradona, frozen by Lovric’s goal, the Azzurri increased ball possession again, but without creating real chances and it was rather Lovric who put Meret in difficulty again with a shot from outside the area. In the second half, Spalletti waited before changing anything, trusting his team and he was right. In the 7th minute, in an action finally worthy of the best Napoli, the two team leaders put together the equalizer: a shot by Kvaratskhelia blocked by Silvestri offered Osimhen the opportunity for his 22nd goal in the league .
Naples, the push and the pizza of the Spanish quarters
The Nigerian’s goal dispelled the clouds of doubt and fear, exploding the Dacia Arena, and consequently Maradona, in a continuous roar that lasted minutes, with dozens of smoke bombs lit and hundreds of flags waving. The match continued, but the news stopped there, leaving room for history, for glory for the leader Spalletti and his team, which joins legends such as the great Turin of 1948, precisely on the day of remembrance of the Superga tragedy in 1949 and Fiorentina 1956, and then at Inter 2007 and Juventus 2019, the only ones so far to win the Scudetto five days from the end. The pitch was invaded immediately, with the players and coach overwhelmed by a cheering crowd. This moment has been waiting for 33 years, also in the name and memory of Diego Armando Maradona.
Fireworks, barrels, smoke bombs, horns and trumpets: Napoli is delirious – the noise is deafening – at the final whistle of the match in Udine which awarded Spalletti’s team the third Scudetto in its history. The Maradona stadium, where fifty thousand fans gathered to watch the match on the big screens, literally exploded. But the same scenes of jubilation can be seen everywhere in the city, whose center is off limits to cars and guarded by the police, starting with Largo Maradona, in the Spanish Quarters, a secular temple of blue cheering. “An historic day, thank you Naples,” says a crying fan.
“Finally! The Azzurri won a well-deserved Scudetto for play, passion and mentality. A team of young talents, a healthy club and an extraordinary crowd of fans: a winning mix that represents only the beginning of a cycle of successes. All of Naples supported the players with joy and responsibility: a winning team and city today and in the future. Long-term vision and planning pay off, it is up to us to continue to keep the name of Naples high”. Thus the mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi immediately after having witnessed the mathematical victory of the Scudetto at the Maradona stadium.
Scudetto Napoli: choirs, flags and smoke bombs outside the Maradona stadium
Source: Ansa
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
