Napoli gave us one of the most compelling stories during the 2022-23 campaign when they won their first Serie A title in 33 years.
At the time, the streets of Naples were packed by their ever-loyal supporters, who waited for a long time for that crowning moment. But the winning feeling is fleeting, and now it is back to business as we look ahead to the 2023-24 season.
The big question right now is whether they have what it takes to repeat, but with significant changes looming on the horizon, there’s a worry that they won’t be able to do so.
The Serie A 2023 odds don’t paint a positive outlook on Napoli’s chances, and SBOTOP is here to share three reasons why.
Rival clubs circling over their stars
Napoli’s Scudetto success is mainly attributed to their stars on the pitch, and overseas clubs recognise them enough to the point that they are being recruited to come and help their teams.
Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Kim Min-Jae were Napoli’s three best players, so it’s no surprise that their names keep popping up in the Serie A 2023 updates in terms of transfer talks.
Osimhen became the first African to be crowned Capocannoniere and the first to combine that with the Scudetto since 2009. Across all competitions, he had 31 goals and four assists, so he became one of the hottest commodities in Europe today.
Teams such as Manchester United, PSG, and Bayern Munich are interested in Osimhen, but his price tag of at least £150 million might be too much for them to match. Add to that the fact that he is keen on running it back, and it’s safe to say that Osimhen will remain in Naples next season.
Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen’s strike partner, also had a great campaign, recording 14 goals and 14 assists and winning the Serie A Player of the Year award.
The Georgian winger was heavily linked with a move to PSG or Real Madrid a few weeks ago, but the interest has seemingly cooled down, which is in favour of Napoli.
He is expected to be in for the long haul, as his contract binds him to Napoli until 2027, and the club is keen on adding larger performance-related bonuses and another year to his current deal.
Napoli’s frontline is settled for now, but the same can’t be said on defence because Kim Min-Jae is going to leave for Germany soon. The Korean centre-back was another transfer target for Manchester United but was high-jacked by Bayern Munich, who are going to trigger his release clause.
Kim Min-Jae was named Serie A’s best defender of the 2022-23 campaign, the first Asian player to win the award. He helped Napoli concede the fewest goals in Serie A, with only 28 goals in 37 games.
His departure leaves a gaping hole in their backline, so Napoli are going to be busy finding a quality replacement for him.
Spalletti’s departure is a big loss
Three weeks after leading Napoli to the league title, the announcement that Luciano Spalletti was taking a year away from football surprised everyone. The 64-year-old became the oldest manager in Serie A history to win his first Scudetto, but he has decided to prioritise his family.
There were a dozen names linked to the Napoli job. But in the end, it was given to Rudi Garcia, who now has big shoes to fill.
The Frenchman was sacked by Al-Nassr in April amid reports of a rocky relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, although he’s already familiar with Serie A, having coached AS Roma from 2013 to 2016.
A reason why it didn’t work out at Al-Nassr is because the personnel weren’t a great fit with his tactics. Garcia likes his forwards to play fast, but with Ronaldo leading the line, it wasn’t sustainable for the Saudi Pro League side.
The hiring of Garcia drew mixed reactions, mostly negative, despite having similar tactics to Spalletti’s. Garcia may have the tools to succeed, but the pressure is on.
The competition will be tighter
Napoli won the Scudetto last season because they kicked off their campaign with a 16-game undefeated streak. Although that was enough, they started to show chinks in their armour later in the season.
In mid-April, they were held to a draw by lower-table sides Hellas Verona and Salernitana, and their scoring rate dropped significantly. That won’t cut it against their rivals.
It’s highly unlikely that Napoli will start the 2023-24 campaign with a long winning streak, so their margin of error won’t be as big as before.
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