José Callejón is renowned in Europe as a Napoli stalwart, but his lesser-known twin Juanmi enjoys just as much acclaim in South America
Tag: napoli
Fitting the mould of calcio’s defensive nature, the contrasting styles of Fabio and Paolo would ensure the name Cannavaro was put up in lights
The highs of swinging to the sound of glory during the Diego Maradona years are only matched by the lows of the years after for Napoli
How Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly has inadvertently used the power of sport to combat and help kick racism out of the Italian game
Led by the genius of Maradona, the goals of Careca and the guile of Bianchi, Napoli thundered their way to glory in the 1989 UEFA Cup
It’s tricky to explain why but through the likes of Boca Juniors, Napoli, Marseille and Hibs, football has gained so much through its port-side clubs
In 2016, Maurizio Sarri memorably said: “If I saw my team defending and counter-attacking after 30 minutes, I would get up and return to the bank because I would not be having…
When Neymar officially signed for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017, the dominant narrative surrounding his decision to leave was that he did not want to be in Lionel Messi’s shadow. The Brazilian…
The thing with being an instantly likeable footballer is that it’s oddly linked with being consigned to relative obscurity. As a mercurially gifted playmaker, Gianfranco Zola dazzled fans wherever he played. He was a magician.…
WHEN THE UNHERALDED MAURIZIO SARRI was appointed as Napoli coach to replace Rafa Benítez ahead of the 2015/16 season, it was met largely with indifference. “We won’t have a winning Napoli with…
“WHAT DISTINGUISHES NAPLES from other large cities is something it has in common with the African kraal: each private attitude or act is permeated by streams of communal life. To exist, for…
Surrounded by 22 other Spanish trailblazers, Iker Casillas ecstatically took his rightful place at the centre of the podium as the all-conquering hero, discovering an uncharted world and raiding it of its riches.…
Antônio De Oliveira Filho was born in the city of Araquara in the Brazilian state of São Paulo on 5 October 1960. His nickname, Careca – which roughly translates as ‘bald’ – came…
DIEGO MARADONA IS AN IMMORTAL ICON IN NAPLES, a figure with almost divine right within his adopted city and the Stadio San Paolo. In the Campania capital, there is no Pelé, Ronaldo or…
Illustration by Federico Manasse There are certain footballers that transcend the beautiful game; mere mortals who watch football see them as ethereal beings. These are the players who elevate the game to…
BORN IN THE TOWN of Castellammare di Stabia, beneath the brooding Mount Vesuvius, Fabio Quagliarella would have been four-years-old when his beloved Napoli won the Scudetto and Coppa Italia in 1987. Led…
BAD TIMING WAS IN PEPE REIN’S BLOOD. His father, Miguel, while in goal for Atlético Madrid in the 1974 European Cup final, was guilty of perhaps the most ill-fated premature celebration in…
IN THE LONG HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL, a total of just 20 men can boast lifting the game’s ultimate prize. It is a particularly selective group of illustrious players, but of all those…