The 2022-23 Serie A season was unforgettable for Napoli and its fanbase. The Azzurri finally won their first Scudetto in 33 years, the first one after the Diego Armando Maradona era. However, despite the incredible and unexpected achievement, it wasn't an easy summer for the club. In fact, the mastermind of the success, coach Luciano Spalletti, decided to step down and left the club one year before the end of the contract. The club decided to appoint the former AS Roma and Al-Nassr coach Rudi Garcia, who will have the difficult role to defend the title for the first time in three decades. How will Napoli follow up their Scudetto? Let's look at how the team breaks down (and remember you can catch all the Serie A action all season long only on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network).
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Summer transfer business
The 2023 summer transfer window started off slowly for the Serie A title holders, but there was an immediate internal earthquake when Spalletti decided to step down while the fans were still celebrating the much awaited title. At the same time, Napoli's sport director Cristiano Giuntoli also left and decided to join Juventus. Two of the main faces of the recent success of the club both decided to leave at the same time, right after winning their historical title. This unexpected situation created some uncertainty among the fans, that are now all hopeful that the owner of the team, Aurelio De Laurentiis, will be able to manage the club's transition to a new era successfully in the same way as he has in the past.
De Laurentiis decided to appoint Rudi Garcia as the new coach of the club, after talking with multiple managers. Garcia has a similar style of playing compared to Spalletti, tactically but also how he deals with the players individually. De Laurentiis opted to appoint a manager that could carry on the ideas of the former coach, instead of bringing on someone that could have completely changed the style and the roster. In the same way, nothing much was needed during the summer transfer business. Bayern Munich decided to trigger the release clause and signed center back Kim Min-Jae for €50 million, signing the best defender of the past Serie A season. Napoli replaced him with RB Bragantino's Brazilian defender Natan, who joined Napoli for €10 million, hoping that he could also replicate the success of the Korean center back.
As things stand, nothing else changed compared to the past season as key players Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen are now expected to stay at the club despite the interests of multiple European and Saudi clubs. Midfielder Tanguy Ndombele ended his season loan and went back to Tottenham and the Azzurri are currently looking for a new midfielder to fill the gap missing before the beginning of the new season.
What to expect from Napoli
It won't be easy at all for Garcia's side to repeat the 2022-23 season and defend the Serie A title. At the same time, the fans and the club expect a step forward at the European level, since the Azzurri were knocked out by AC Milan in the quarter finals of the past edition. The race for the top four will be even more difficult this year: Atalanta and Juventus improved their rosters, Jose Mourinho entering his last year of contract with AS Roma, Lazio finished second last season, Inter and AC Milan being probably the strongest sides. Despite their title win last year, if Napoli manage to end up in the top four it will definitely be a positive season at the end of the day.
Three players to watch out
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: Last year he was a Serie A rookie and impressed the whole world. He scored 14 goals, and assisted 17 times to his teammates and was one of the key players for the team, especially in the first part of the season. He had some ups and downs towards the end of the year, and it will definitely be interesting to see his impact in the second season at the club, with his rivals knowing him already.
Natan: The Brazilian center back arrived to replace Kim Min-Jae, the best Serie A defender of the 2022-23 season. That's why his role will be particularly difficult, with the pressure to replace one of the best players of the league. Natan will have to deal with the pressure of the fans as well, who had similar expectations last year when Kim replaced Kalidou Koulibaly, who joined Chelsea in the summer 2022.
Giacomo Raspadori: He was one of the players that helped Napoli to keep their level high when strikers like Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Simone were not available. Raspadori was crucial in the first part of the season, especially in the Champions League, and the feeling is that he can do much more in his second season at the club.
Napoli predictions
- Serie A finish: 5th
- Top scorer: Victor Osimhen
- Player of the season: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Something unexpected: Napoli won't end up in the top four but will reach the kockout stages of the Champions League
