Every football fan thinks their club is unique. Napoli fans, however, can make a more convincing case than most. From embracing the disparaging ‘i ciucciarelli’ (little donkeys) nickname bestowed on them after their first horrific season to praying for a saint’s blood to liquify, from introducing players veiled in lion’s masks to establishing a church to venerate their sainted No. 10, the Partenopei are indeed a different breed. That, in itself, makes it nearly impossible to name just eleven players from over 100 years of club history that could take the field and knock down any opposing side.
Obviously, some exclusion criteria must be applied. But my normal method, known as “tell the stories,” fails when applied to Napoli history. By this token, how can we exclude Gökhan İnler, the midfielder who donned the mask a decade ago? Mustn’t we discuss Omar Sívori, who arrived from Juventus in 1965, astonished the crowds, then left after being suspended for flattening a member of his former club? Napoli fans adore that sort of thing! And then there’s Roberto Sosa, who almost certainly would never be listed as one of the greats, but helped the club rise from Serie C to Serie A in just three seasons, giving his own money to help the broken club buy footballs and training tops.
This team, then, combines the great stories of Napoli Calcio with the talent required to construct a Starting XI capable of delighting each and every fan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. And, because it’s Napoli, and Napoli are freakishly weird and fun and have been throughout most of their history, this team is set up in some sort of a 3-4-3, with the greatest No. 10 of the 20th century set in their midst.
Goalkeeper: Dino Zoff (1967-1972)
Pay no attention to the fact that Dino Zoff left Napoli for Juventus after five seasons (even if others were excluded from this side for doing exactly the same). He is the best goalkeeper to have taken his place between the sticks for the club, beating Pepe Reina, besting even Giuseppe Taglialatela, who helped bring the Partenopei their first title. Brought in under the great Petisso, Bruno Pesaola, Zoff conceded just 24 goals in his first season, which led to callups for the 1968 Euros, where he tended goal as Italy secured their first title, and the 1970 World Cup, in which the Azzurri came in second to that jaw-dropping Brazil side. But with the other Azzurri underperforming, and in a bit of turmoil to boot, Zoff answered the siren’s song of Juventus in 1972.
Right-back: Giuseppe Bruscolotti (1972-1988)
Bruscolotti is relatively unknown outside Napoli circles, and even within them, he’s often overlooked due to the overdose of talent the squad boasted in the second half of the 1980s. But this Campania native deserves recognition not only for helping the club reach their very first Scudetto, but also for his unswerving loyalty and dedication to Napoli.
Signed in 1972, Bruscolotti should’ve, by all rights, worn the captain’s armband when hoisting their first Serie A trophy. Instead, this gracious man handed that right over to Diego Maradona in 1984, making him promise to bring the title in return. “The Iron Pole,” a pillar of physical strength, remained at his beloved club until he retired in 1988. He held the record for most Serie A appearances in the Azzurri (387) until 2018.
Centre-back: Kalidou Koulibaly (2014-2022)
Napoli fans have yet to recover from K2’s move to Chelsea in mid-July. The defender had been linked with the club for at least six years, but he seemed to have no desire to leave—one of a number of players who fell deeply in love with Napoli, and in return shunned offers to leave for the desire to repay the city with some shiny hardware.
Ultimately, Koulibaly won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa with the Partenopei, but never brought that elusive third Scudetto. In the process, though, through 236 appearances, he revealed himself to be one of the world’s best defenders, not only a rock in the back, but an impeccable passer and prime positioner. It can certainly be said that he won the hearts of every Napoli fan.
Left-back: Ruud Krol (1980-1984)
Yes, the brilliant Ruud Krol did play with Napoli, for four seasons in fact. One of the best defenders of all time, Corrado Ferlaino and Rino Marchesi enticed the Dutchman to leave the Vancouver Whitecaps to join a revitalized Azzurri side, one that climbed seven places to finish 3rd in 1980–81. The versatile defender made a name for himself at Ajax under Rinus Michels, and helped hold Napoli to just 21 and 20 goals conceded in his first and second seasons, particularly impressive when playing in front of Luciano Castellini, who was known to make a spectacular mistake or two.
If only he’d held on another year, allowing Ciro Ferrara to play while he took up any other defensive position—he excelled at them all—and closed down the attack while Bruno Giordano and, of course, Diego Maradona tortured opposing defenders.
Central Midfielder: Pierluigi Ronzon (1961-1967)
Ronzon is likely not a name that would strike fear into most opposing players—or, quite frankly, even trigger memories in many football fans—but defensive mid doesn’t often receive heaps of accolades, anyway. He makes the list because, in addition to recording exactly 200 appearances with Napoli, he scored the winning goal against SPAL in the 1962 Coppa Italia final, securing the club’s first big piece of silverware. Oh, and they were in Serie B at the time.
Central Midfielder: Marek Hamšík (2007-2019)
Hamšík arrived at Napoli from Brescia in 2007, and immediately set about making himself a club legend. Ok, perhaps that wasn’t his intention, but his cool, concise play, his exceptional passing, his ability to orchestrate the entire game – from the tips of his mohawk to the toes of his (baggy, pushed-down) socks, he was the symbol of Napoli’s re-emergence in Serie A, and the primary reason they qualified for Europe most of the 12 seasons he played in the side.
Others may have drawn more attention, but the squad was constructed around Marekiaro. He gave Napoli his everything, right down to the majority of the muscles in his sublime legs, throughout his record-setting 520 appearances in the blue. In return, Napoli fans gave him their undying affection and adoration.
Attacking Midfield: Dries Mertens (2013-2022)
Napoli has had far too many amazing forwards, so for the purposes of this starting XI, we’ll put Dries Mertens, who truly flourished playing as a number 9, out wide in the midfield—otherwise, those fullbacks are going to be stuck doing everything on the edges of the pitch. It really matters little, however, as the diminutive Belgian can get under anyone’s skin, no matter where he plays. Disappointingly to fans and even more disappointingly to him, owner Aurelio De Laurentiis failed to renew Mertens’ contract this summer, despite his record-holding 148 goals in all competitions. Fans will forever keep a place in their hearts for their “Ciro” Mertens, who loves the city as though it is his own, and plays with his own heart proudly displayed on his sleeve.
No.10: Diego Armando Maradona (1984-1991)
What, you were expecting someone else? The best player of the 20th century moved to Napoli because Barcelona just couldn’t handle his, shall we say, extracurricular activities. Naples, where grit and grime, corruption and craziness, exist right alongside elegance and beauty and passion, could not have been a more perfect fit for Maradona. The champion of the underdog immediately fell for the people of his new city, and in return poured out everything for them.
At the start of his second season with the club, he began working with coach Ottavio Bianchi and sporting director Pierpaolo Marino to bring in talented players who would only enhance Maradona’s game. By the end of the next season, 1986–87, Napoli had clinched their first Scudetto. And at the end of 2020, when we said AD10S, he left behind two titles, a UEFA Cup, a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa, a church, hundreds of shrines, the No. 10 jersey, and the stadium that now bears his name. It is repeated over and over because it is true: Maradona is a god in Naples.
Forward: Careca (1987-1993)
Alongside Maradona and Bruno Giordano, Antônio de Oliveira Filho formed part of the breathtaking ‘Ma-Gi-Ca’ trio that … well, like those in the 2000s, impressed but didn’t actually secure a trophy. But during his time with Napoli, Careca did win the UEFA Cup in 1988–89, followed by their second Scudetto in 1989–90. Although he did so alongside Diego, Careca deserves his own accolades.
Another fast, technically accomplished attacker, his brilliant sense of positioning enabled him to get himself on the end of precise passes from Maradona, heading them past the opposition goalkeeper. He could also cause jaws to drop by slicing them through the defense into the opposite corner.
In addition to loving to score against Juventus, which alone should endear him to Napoli fans forever, the Brazilian scored three of the four goals against Bayern to send Napoli to the UEFA Cup final, then proceeded to score the winner in the first leg against Stuttgart, and the crucial goal to ensure a draw in the second, securing that lauded trophy.
Forward: Attila Sallustro (1926-1937)
Naples’ first football star joined FBC InterNaples in 1925, so it can be argued that he could play somewhere other than central forward—in other words, if you’re having issues with the way this team is set up, feel free to move the man around. But he is an integral part of Napoli history and thus a critical component to this squad. Il veltro, the greyhound, remained at the club for 12 seasons, making 266 appearances and scoring 108 goals.
While in his first season InterNaples earned promotion to the first division, in the second, as Napoli, they failed utterly, with Sallustro scoring just one goal and Napoli earning just one point. Political machinations ensured the team weren’t sent down, however, and by the end of 1934, Napoli had finished third and qualified for European competition for the first time. Sallustro received no salary until 1932 (his father thought it unbecoming), further capturing the hearts of Neapolitans; they would congregate under his apartment window and mob him in the streets.
Forward: Edinson Cavani (2011-2013)
Edy Cavani was no stranger to fans mobbing him in the streets; in fact, when he moved from Napoli to PSG, former teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi warned him that no one would care about his presence in Paris, much less construct an entire cake featuring his visage. Alongside Lavezzi and Hamšík, Cavani formed one of the prongs of Walter Mazzarri’s famous attacking trident, the Three Tenors.
It was when El Matador arrived on loan from Palermo that Napoli became truly exciting again, for the first time in 30 years. This was the squad that set the foundation for 12 years of Napoli success (and distress, given how close they often came to challenging for another title, only to see it slip away). Cavani, with 104 goals in 138 Napoli appearances and the Serie A 2012–13 Capocannoniere honor, is undeniably blessed with a golden toe and a poacher’s instinct, but one of most fun parts about watching him at Napoli was seeing him fly back to save his side by kicking a ball off the line.
Napoli football club is filled to bursting with distinctive characters who were also able to save, block, pass, dribble, shoot, and score with incredible dexterity. Given I literally wrote the book on the club (More than Maradona: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Napoli Football Club, coming later this year) it was near impossible to choose just eleven players to feature in an all-time best. Calcio fans excel at debate, and will certainly offer justifications for why others should have been selected. However, that the players listed here are Partenopei heroes is inarguable.
kvara, osimhen