On 29 May 2021, after two years of inactivity, Spalletti was announced as the new head coach of Napoli, replacing Gennaro Gattuso. In his first season in the club, although the season was trophyless, he led Napoli to finish 3rd in Serie A table, securing Champions League qualification.
In the summer of 2022, many experienced players left the team, including veteran defender Kalidou Koulibaly, club top goal scorer in all competitions Dries Mertens, midfielder Fabian Ruiz, and team captain Insigne. To supplant their losses, the team in return brought in players such as Giacomo Raspadori, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giovanni Simeone, and Kim Min-jae.
Napoli began their Champions League season by defeating 2021-22 finalists Liverpool 4–1. On 4 October 2022, Napoli routed Ajax 6–1 at the Johan Cruyff Arena, inflicting the worst defeat ever to the Dutch giant in European competitions. Despite recording their first loss of the season away to Liverpool, on 1 November Spalletti led Napoli to finish first in their group and qualify for the knockout rounds.
On 23 October, Napoli beat Roma 1–0, marking their 11th straight victory across all competitions to match the club record set in 1986 with Maradona, also going 3 points clear on top of Serie A table. On 13 January 2023, Napoli crushed rivals Juventus 5–1, the worst defeat for Juventus in Serie A since 1993, as well as Napoli’s 10th home win in all competitions. On 21 January, Napoli defeated Salernitana 2–0, ensuring a 12 point lead on the top of Serie A table, and becoming the third side in the three points for a win era to have reached 50+ points in the first half of a single Serie A season, after Juventus in 2013–14 and Inter in 2006–07.
On 15 March, Napoli defeated German side Eintracht Frankfurt 3–0 (5–0 on aggregate) to advance to the UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history. On 4 May, Spalletti lead Napoli to win their 3rd Serie A title, last won in 1990.
Spalletti’s current deal with the Italian champions runs until 2024, but the 64-year-old could now be set to stay until 2025 after clinching the league title. Spalletti has confirmed that he will be staying at the club. There were questions over his future, however, he has held ‘positive’ talks with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Napoli are a through example of impossible being possible and how they have grown and worked their way forward even after seeing legends leaving and getting a fresh and fantastic outcome out of a situation looking difficult.
Napoli had to see their dream of a double crashland, getting defeated by their national rival AC Milan, not then able to go all the way in Champions League this season, but they will be back chasing this trophy next season.
The senstational Serie A win is the first in 33 years and of course giving back grand memories to the ever living Diego Maradona, who had a special saying in that triumph being possible, but this time players are part of the Spaletti spirit as his guidence looks the most iconic.
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