SSC Napoli

SSC Napoli was formally established in 1926 as Associazione Calcio Napoli, although organised football in Naples had roots stretching back to the beginning of the twentieth century. The club took its modern name, Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli, in 1964. Closely identified with Naples and southern Italy, Napoli developed a large following despite spending much of their early history without the major honours collected by the dominant clubs from northern Italy.

Napoli became an established Serie A side but had to wait until 1962 for their first major national trophy. They won the Coppa Italia while playing in Serie B, defeating SPAL 2-1 in the final. The club returned to Serie A and enjoyed a strong period during the 1960s, with players including Antonio Juliano and Brazilian forward Jose Altafini. A second Coppa Italia followed in 1976 after Napoli defeated Verona in the final.

The decisive transformation in the club’s history came in 1984 with the signing of Diego Maradona from Barcelona. SSC Napoli had never won the Italian championship, but Maradona became the central figure in a side that challenged the traditional northern powers. Ottavio Bianchi’s team won the 1986/87 Serie A title, the first Scudetto in Napoli’s history. They also defeated Atalanta over two legs in the Coppa Italia final, completing a domestic double.

SSC Napoli’s success soon extended into European competition. In the 1988/89 UEFA Cup, they eliminated opponents including Bordeaux, Juventus and Bayern Munich before meeting Stuttgart in the final. Napoli won the first leg 2-1 at home, with Maradona and Careca scoring, and drew the return match 3-3 in Germany. The 5-4 aggregate victory delivered the club’s first major European trophy.

Another Serie A championship followed in 1989/90. SSC Napoli finished ahead of AC Milan to claim their second Scudetto, with Maradona, Careca and Alemao among the principal figures. The club then won the 1990 Supercoppa Italiana by defeating Juventus 5-1. Maradona left in 1991, and the team that had delivered Napoli’s greatest period of success gradually broke apart.

Financial and sporting difficulties dominated the following years. Napoli were relegated from Serie A in 1998 and later encountered severe financial problems. In 2004, the existing company was declared bankrupt. Film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis established Napoli Soccer and entered the club in Serie C1. Promotion followed in 2006, the SSC Napoli name was restored, and the team returned to Serie A in 2007.

The rebuilt club gradually re-established itself near the top of Italian football. SSC Napoli won the Coppa Italia in 2012 under Walter Mazzarri, beating Juventus 2-0 in the final, and added another Coppa Italia in 2014 under Rafael Benitez. The same year brought a Supercoppa Italiana victory over Juventus. Maurizio Sarri later led a side featuring Marek Hamsik, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne that challenged strongly for Serie A, collecting 91 points in 2017/18 without winning the championship. Another Coppa Italia arrived in 2020 under Gennaro Gattuso.

The long wait for a third Scudetto ended spectacularly in 2022/23. Coached by Luciano Spalletti and driven by the goals of Victor Osimhen and the creativity of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli secured the Serie A championship with five matches remaining. It was their first league title for 33 years. They also reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time.

Antonio Conte became head coach in 2024 and delivered another championship in his first season. Napoli defeated Cagliari 2-0 on the final day of 2024/25 to finish one point ahead of Inter and win their fourth Serie A title. Conte’s second season ended with Napoli qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Italian Super Cup in December 2025. He and his staff left the club in 2026.

SSC Napoli entered their centenary season in 2026/27 under Massimiliano Allegri, who signed a contract running to 2029. His appointment followed a century in which the club had grown from its formal foundation in 1926 to four Italian championships, six Coppa Italia victories and the 1989 UEFA Cup. The centenary programme began in summer 2026, with Napoli officially marking 1 August 1926 as the symbolic founding date during a year of events dedicated to the club’s history.