On the night of Thursday, May 4th, Naples’ football club—the S.S.C. Napoli—won its first Serie A title in 33 years. The team was also awarded the highly-coveted Scudetto, one of the highest awards given to Italy’s sport champions. Scudetto translates to “little shield”, meaning that the team’s jerseys will now be adorned with a small shield depicting the Italian flag.
Needless to say, the city was triumphant and celebrations ensued all night. Fans paraded into the streets and piazzas, where fireworks were lit off and S.S.C. Napoli flags were waved with immense pride.
However, I, not being a particularly large soccer fan, had no idea of this win when I arrived in Naples on the morning of May 5th for a one-night stay with two friends. This ignorance did not last long, as I quickly noticed the sheer number of people donning their light blue Napoli jerseys and caught a glimpse of the game’s highlights on a screen in the train station.
Once we arrived at our place, we went for a walk around the neighborhood to find some lunch. Even on some of the quieter streets, there was no shortage of celebration. Banners and flags were hung out of windows while blue and white streamers criss-crossed the narrow streets. Even in the early afternoon, Neapolitans were chanting and cheering. Everyone we talked to wanted us to know about the win.
Later on Friday night, the celebrations continued. The main streets were filled with fans who had returned for another night of festivities. As we were looking for a place to eat dinner, we saw a small family—a father, a mother, and a child—crammed into the seat of a moped, holding the blue S.S.C. Napoli flag as they meandered through Naples’s crowded streets. At that moment, I said to myself, “This win is a big deal!”
Although I had no skin in the game before arriving in Naples, I could not help but be excited for Naples and their victory. It seemed to be the perfect day to visit a city already known for its pride and energy.