Napoli is in a real crisis. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

The Italian champions sink into midfield

Last year, Napoli played everything into the ground and became Serie A champions. This year the southern Italians are in chaos.

07 January 2024

From: dl

After a mixed start to the season, Rudi Garcia was fired in mid-November. Aurelio De Laurentis then brought back his old friend Walter Mazzarri. But things have gotten even worse for Napoli since then. The negative highlight was the 0-4 home defeat in the cup against Frosinone. But the negative spiral just continues: On Sunday, Napoli lost 0-3 in the league against Torino.

Last year, Napoli played outstanding football under Luciano Spalletti. This year there is nothing left of that, although the players are more or less the same. Napoli are now in 19th place after 9 match days. Club boss De Laurentis is already being criticized by the fans. The unrest on Vesuvius is getting bigger and bigger.

Milan is in good shape again. © ANSA / CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI

With their seventh win of the season, Torino moved up to within one point of Napoli in 10th place. At the top of the table, AC Milan consolidated third place with a 3-0 win at penultimate Empoli. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud made things clear before the break with a hand penalty. Chaka Traore scored the final point after a counterattack. The Milanese are 9 points behind their rivals Inter, who are at the top of the table.

Serie A: Sunday's games

Empoli – Milan 0:3
0:1 Loftus-Cheek (11th), 0:2 penalty Giroud (31st), 0:3 Traore (88th)

Torino – Napoli 3-0
1:0 Sanabria (43rd), 2:0 Vlasic (52nd), 3:0 Buongiorno (66th)

Udinese – Lazio 1-2
0:1 Pellegrini (12th), 1:1 Wallace (59th), 1:2 Vecino (76th)

Roma – Atalanta 1:1
0:1 Koopmeiners (8th), 1:1 Dybala (39th/penalty)

Salernitana – Juventus 1:2
1:0 Maggiore (39th), 1:1 Iling Junior (65th), 1:2 Vlahovic (90th+1)