Napoli won its first Serie A title in 33 years on Thursday, coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Udinese at the Dacia Arena in Udine.
The Scudetto is the club’s first since 1990, when it was inspired by the late Diego Maradona, after whom the team’s home stadium is named.
It is only the third time that Napoli has won Serie A, and the club’s success has sparked jubilant celebrations among the players as well as in the southern Italian city, with many fans congregating at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
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Sandi Lovric’s shot gave Udinese the lead in the first half, but Napoli forward Victor Osimhen tied the game early in the second half, guiding the ball home after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s shot was saved following a corner.
Osimhen, Serie A’s leading goalscorer this season, has been instrumental in Napoli’s success, and this was his 22nd league goal of the season.
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The 24-year-old Nigerian scored in front of the traveling Napoli fans, who celebrated the equalizer wildly.
Even before the game began, Napoli fans flooded the streets of Naples, with thousands of fans flocking to the club’s home stadium to watch the action in Udine unfold on big screens.
Others set off fireworks and flares in the streets as crowds gathered in the hope of finally seeing their team win the title – Napoli had squandered an opportunity on Sunday when it unexpectedly drew with Salernitana in front of home fans.
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With six games remaining in the league season, Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli would have become the earliest team in history to win the Serie A title.
However, Napoli’s first-half performance did not go as planned, with the team trailing 1-0 at the break thanks to Lovric’s brilliant strike in the 13th minute.
However, Napoli knew that a point would be enough to secure a historic title and came out in the second half rejuvenated, buoyed by the traveling fans who created an electric atmosphere inside the stadium.
According to the BT Sport broadcast, nearly 11,000 Napoli fans traveled to the Dacia Arena to witness their team’s long-awaited moment.
Those supporters were rewarded when Osimhen, Napoli’s hero this season, equalized in the 52nd minute.
The celebrations in Udine were only matched by those in Napoli, where the city erupted with joy, with videos showing flares being fired and a light show at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The visitors needed only a draw to leave Udine with the biggest prize in Italian football.
When the referee blew the full-time whistle, Napoli fans rushed onto the field to celebrate, with players mobbed in joyous scenes.
