Napoli Crowned 2022-23 Serie A Champions!

"The Napoli Scudetto is a victory for all the South"

Siamo Noi
Siamo Noi
I Campioni d'Italia
Siamo Noi [1]

Finally, after thirty-three years our dream came true and Napoli are crowned champions of Italy again! The Partenopei have been so dominant this season, winning our third Scudetto has been anticipated for weeks. Anything but anticlimactic, now that it is official the excitement and jubilation are greater than I ever expected. Try as they may, haters still do their best to cope and belittle the achievement, but nothing can diminish this triumph or spoil our fun. To give you an idea of how great this team truly is, consider there are still five Italian sides playing in the semi-finals of European competitions, by far the most of any country,[2] and there are still five rounds left to play in Serie A.

Napoli’s contentious exit from the Champions League is nothing to be ashamed of or a reflection of the team’s quality. After all, Milan were Italy's reigning champions and I argue they were “lucky” to squeak past us. Despite the loss, we still hold our heads high and salute the lads for a compelling and hard-fought competition.[3]

Originally, I planned a long-winded rant about other clubs, supporters, referees, and all the hatred directed towards Napoli, but the euphoria of winning the Italian championship has softened my heart and made all my remonstrances seem petty and insignificant in comparison. In the spirit of good sportsmanship and attempting to be a gracious winner, I choose to put my many grievances behind me (for now). I’ll save my trash-talk for face-to-face confrontations with all the crybabies and sore losers I’ll inevitably cross paths with in the coming days. Sadly, New York City is lousy with Juventini, Interisti, and Milanisti, among others.

To be sure, I’m going to savor this strange and unfamiliar feeling called sweet victory. After all, who knows when we will win the Scudetto again? If history is any indicator, it may be a very long time indeed (see sobering graphic below). Even though the Vesuviani have been formidable over the past decade and finished in the top four regularly, it took an extraordinary season to finally wrench the title from the clutches of our northern rivals and put an end to our suffering. The one thing that is for certain, we are the champions and will be celebrating this historic achievement for years to come. Grazie ragazzi e Forza Napoli Sempre!

The disparity between the North and the South is so great, even if the Southern clubs won the next one-hundred Scudetti we would still trail them by thirteen! (five if you don't count the Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and Cagliari championships)

Notes:
[1] We are, We are, Italian Champions, We are

[2] To put this in perspective, Spain and England have two clubs each, while Germany, Holland and Switzerland each have just one. For those of you who need it spelled out for them, this means Napoli dominated a strong and competitive Serie A.

[3] Admittedly, if Napoli did not win the Scudetto I would still be livid about the poor officiating during the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Also see: First Scudetto in 33 Years Within Napoli’s Grasp