Nigeria Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, on Thursday won the Serie A title for Napoli with his equaliser in their 1-1 game at Udinese.
Napoli that needed a draw to win the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years conceded in the 22nd minute only for the Nigerian to score the much-needed equalizer in the 52nd minute and won the league with five games to spare.
Osimhen’s second-half equaliser proved decisive for the champions who last won the league title in 1990 when Diego Maradona was captain.
Napoli topped the league with 80 points after 33 games with second placed Lazio on 64 points.
At 64 Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti, who twice won the Coppa Italia with Roma, becomes the oldest manager to win Serie A.
European broadcaster James Horncastle on BBC Radio 5 Live: “No one put Napoli within the top-four, let alone winning the league. It is extraordinary. There have been so many highlights, I don’t think you can say it’s been completely planned either.
second-placed”It’s all fitted together and it’s also probably a product of dysfunction in Serie A.
“As much as this last week has felt like a disappointment because they didn’t wrap it up last week, they’ve won it with five games to spare!”
It is such an emotional moment for Napoli fans as they celebrated all through the night.
Needing only a draw to take an unassailable 16-point lead with five games still remaining, Serie A’s top scorer Victor Osimhen equalised for Napoli in the 52nd minute to spark wild celebrations.
The title is Napoli’s third in Italy’s top division and first since legendary Argentine Diego Maradona led them to championships in 1987 and 1990. Napoli’s home stadium was renamed in Maradona’s honour following his death in November 2020.
Napoli could have sealed the title at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Sunday but conceded a late equaliser to Salernitana to extend the wait for four more days. But they went into Thursday’s game knowing a point would be enough after nearest challengers Lazio beat Sassuolo a day earlier.
As a result, 11,000 Napoli fans followed the team to the Dacia Arena at Udine, in northern Italy, in anticipation of a celebration more than three decades in the making. More than 50,000 supporters were also expected at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, after it was opened for fans to watch the game.
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