Napoli’s Resurrection:
Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen, and the Gangs’ Domination
By Danial Golforoush
It has been a season full of surprises, distractions, and abnormalities—from Napoli leading the Serie A league by 19 points after 27 games, Arsenal leading the Premier League by 8 points, and Bayern Munich battling it out instead of leading the league! It is fair to assume that no one could have foreseen any of these happenings. But we did have a World Cup in the winter, multiple Financial Fair Play breach allegations, and a 15-point deduction for an Italian club. And it has only been 8 months since the European competitions kicked off. But with only 10 matches or so remaining for most of the leagues across Europe, we are getting down to business. No distractions, no nonsense, just business. Because this can be a season for the record books.
When Napoli started the league with a 5 – 2 victory against Verona, not many took that as a sign for the club absolutely dominating the Italian league for the season. The club has not won the league since Diego Maradona himself played for the club in the late 1980s, with their last league trophy coming in during the 1989–90 season. Since then Napoli has struggled to match the financial strength and might of the other big teams with the likes of AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus, which spend tens of millions of Euros to invest in their squads—hence, their more calculated approach in the market: recruit young, promising players who match a certain style of play and then sell on to bring in more funds and repeat, a similar approach to the likes of Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, and now Brighton. Napoli did compete for a few seasons with the dominant Juventus that won the league back-to-back for 9 years! In the 2017-2018 season, Napoli came in second with 91 points, only 4 points away from the eventual league winners Juventus—a record in Serie A for the runner-up place.
Napoli still continued to be a high-tempo, intense team battling it out for the top 4 for European qualification, but this season has been different. The team has shifted into the next gear. With the departure of veterans like Mertens, Insigne, Milik, Koulibaly, Ruiz, and Ospina, Napoli took the contemporary route of recruiting a mixture of promising young stars from around the world and solid Serie A players. They signed the likes of Min Jae-Kim from the Turkish League, Frank Anguissa from Fulham, Raspadori and Simeone from Sassuolo and Hellas Verona, respectively, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from the Georgian League. Just as importantly, they kept hold of the “new” spine of the team and did not move them on, with the likes of Meret, Osimhen, Di Lorenzi, and Zielinski staying put. This inevitably allowed the experienced coach of the team, Luciano Spalletti, to have a say on the type of dressing room and tactics that he wants to run in his second year in charge.
The fall in the quality of their main competitors meant that Napoli could have a better shot at the top 4 spots, but to win 23 of the 28 played matches at the time of writing and only lose 2 is a different story. This is where the spirit of Maradona comes in. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who signed from the FC Dinamo Batumi in the Georgian League for 11.5 million Euros, has become such an integral part of this team and has hit such new heights that his valuation has increased to 85 Million Euros in April 2023 from 15 million Euros in May 2022. He has had a total goal contribution of 30 in 30 matches; 14 goals and 16 assists. A double-digit number in both assists and goals is not a statistic many can claim in a season!
To be even more specific about his performance, Kvaratskhelia has been so good that he has been mentioned in the same breath by many legends of the game as the legendary Maradona himself! He has even been given the nickname of “Kvaradona.” The 22 year old’s dribbling skills are a work of art, combining speed, balance, agility, and quick thinking. His ability to maneuver past defenders with ease makes him a dangerous player in the attacking third and a joy to watch for any football fan. The likes of Andriy Shevchenko, former AC Milan striker, Ballon d’Or winner, and current Ukraine national team coach, and Paolo Maldini, former AC Milan defender and current technical director, said the following:
“Kvaratskhelia is a player who can change the game with his individual skills. He has the same charisma and personality as Maradona, and he is a joy to watch.” – Paolo Maldini
“Kvaratskhelia has the potential to become a world-class player, and he has the same spirit and determination as Maradona. He is a real talent and a rising star.” – Andriy Shevchenko
Now if Kvaratskhelia is the kick, Victor Osihmon is the punch. The Nigerian striker possesses a rare combination of speed, strength, and agility that allows him to dominate opponents and score breathtaking goals. The 24 year old transferred to Napoli from LOSC Lille in France during the 2020-2021 season, showing promise in his first and second seasons, even hitting double digits in both seasons amid his injury in November 2020. Osihmon was diagnosed with cranial trauma due to a skull fracture and spent several weeks recovering before returning to the pitch in January 2021. However, much like Kvara, he has hit new heights with 30 goal contributions in 29 matches; 25 goals and 5 assists. Such performances mean that the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea are knocking on Napoli’s door for them!
This does not mean that the team has been held up by these two players; the team, as a unit, is performing above expectation and is showing signs of such deep chemistry and understanding of the playing style expected by the coach that it feels like they have been playing with one another for years. With the team keeping 13 clean sheets this season, this only hints at their defensively solid base, with a goal difference of 48 in the league by scoring 17 more goals than the next best scoring and conceding 3 fewer goals than the next team.
Napoli’s dominance goes beyond Italy, as they came out on top (based on goal difference) in a group with Liverpool and dominated Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16s by a 5 – 0 aggregated goals. While they now face AC Milan in the quarterfinals, their recent performances will have the remainder of the teams in the competition worried about the next round.
With a 19-point gap and 10 matches to go in the league and a place in the quarterfinals in the European Champions League, the question becomes, can Napoli build off this triumph or will they be picked apart by the European giants during the transfer market? Regardless of the outcome, Napoli has been the shining light of this year’s games and has been a breath of fresh air in Italian and European football with their magical way of playing!
