Napoli's Scudetto Triumph: A Long-Awaited Victory For The Underdogs

The southern Italian city of Naples erupted in joyous celebration as their beloved team, Napoli, won the Serie A title for the first time in more than three decades.

Fans who have waited for years to see their team claim victory were overcome with emotion as they swept away years of disappointment with this historic win.

?? L’Italia si tinge d’azzurro: #Napul3 torna Campione!

? La collezione dei campioni la trovi qui : https://t.co/ukVg1vDUkH

? #ForzaNapoliSempre #TuttoPerLei pic.twitter.com/X9wxebK1lU

— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) May 4, 2023

Napoli's last triumph was in 1990, led by the Argentine hero Diego Maradona, but since then, the Scudetto has been almost exclusively won by teams from wealthy northern Italy, such as Juventus, Inter, and AC Milan.

The 1-1 draw at mid-table Udinese secured Napoli's third crown, an unassailable 16-point lead over second-placed Lazio with only five matches left in the season.

Fans were out in force, screaming, waving flags, lighting flares and firecrackers in the central Trieste and Trento Square.

Siamo noi, siamo noi… ??? #Napul3 pic.twitter.com/fdsYl1OHMY

— Giovanni Simeone (@simeonegiovanni) May 4, 2023

Udinese, based in Italy's northeast, was more than 800 kilometres away from Naples, so many Napoli fans watched the game at their local Maradona stadium, specially equipped with eight giant screens.

The city has been gearing up for weeks for the title celebration, casting aside their usual superstition about claiming victory before it happens.

Streamers, banners, flags, scarves, and life-sized cardboard replicas of Napoli's present-day footballers have festooned the city centre, with Maradona still revered and celebrated on fans' t-shirts, banners or tattoos, and on a giant mural in Naples' Miracles Square.

The win was a victory for the underdogs who have waited for years to witness their team's triumph.

"We were the underdogs at the start of the season. Not many believed in us, and so many people wrote us off," Victor Osimhen said.

"We believed from the start of the season that we have this great squad that can deliver the Scudetto."

Authorities had banned car and scooter traffic from the city centre in the hope of minimizing risk to public order, and police had banned fireworks.

However, that did not stop the Neapolitan sky from being lit up as soon as the game against Udinese was over.

The US consulate issued a security alert last week, warning that "spontaneous celebrations could last multiple days" and warned of "heavy traffic or road closures, significant use of fireworks, and alcohol consumption throughout the city."

Despite post-match scuffles in Udine, where Napoli fans ran onto the stadium pitch to celebrate with players but were met by hostile home supporters armed with belts and batons, this historic moment will forever be remembered as a long-awaited victory for the underdogs.