Napoli's Ultimate 25-Man Serie A Squad
By Lee Bushe
In the space of 30 years, Napoli have won a Scudetto, encountered financial problems, suffered relegation to Serie B, went bankrupt, re-formed, achieved back-to-back promotions from Serie C to Serie A before re-establishing themselves as a force in Italian football.
That's the time period this squad list covers, meaning only players that have played for Napoli post-1990 can be included. With this in mind, here is I Partenopei's ultimate 25-man Serie A squad list.
Goalkeepers
Pepe Reina - Having made nearly 200 appearances for Napoli over the course of two separate spells, Reina was a key part of the Partenopei side who established themselves as a regular top three side. Left in 2018 to play second fiddle to Gianluigi Donnarumma at A.C. Milan.
Morgan De Sanctis - Something of a journeyman, De Sanctis enjoyed the most successful period of his career at the Stadio San Paolo, keeping 71 clean sheets in 175 games. Kept Juventus at bay during the 2012 Coppa Italia final, helping them to win their first major trophy in over 20 years.
Giuliano Giuliani - Better known for being a reliable goalkeeper rather than a showy one, Giuliani only played for Napoli for two seasons, but was first-choice 'keeper as Napoli won the Scudetto in 1990, conceding just 28 times in 32 appearances.
Right Backs
Elseid Hysaj - A constant thorn for forwards and wingers with Napoli for nearly five years, Hysaj's defensive capabilties, as well as his offensive capabilities, have made him almost indispensable for I Partenopei, though he has been a peripheral figure this season.
Christian Maggio - Maggio gave blood, sweat and tears to Napoli for a decade, making over 300 appearances for I Partenopei as they ascended from mid-table obscurity to Champions League regulars. An attack-minded full-back, Maggio contributed 23 goals and 31 assists during his time at the club.
Centre Backs
Kalidou Koulibaly - Since joining from Genk in 2014, Koulibaly has established himself as one of the world's best centre-backs, thanks to his tirelessness, tackling and ability to read the game. His loyalty to Napoli, in addition to his defensive contributions, saw him earn the honourary title of a citizen of Naples in 2019.
Ciro Ferrara - Naples born and raised, Ferrara played for his hometown club for ten years, and was one of world's best defenders during his prime. He helped Napoli to win four trophies, including two Scudetti, in the late 80s and early 90s, before leaving for Juventus in 1994.
Fabio Cannavaro - Like Ferrara, Cannavaro was a native of Naples and began his career in the famous colours of the Azzurri, impressing with his tackling and ability to start counter-attacks. He could've been a Napoli legend if not for the club's financial problems, which saw him move to Parma and begin something of a nomadic career.
Raúl Albiol- After failing to establish himself as a regular at Real Madrid, Albiol joined Napoli in 2013, playing for the club for six years, often lining up alongside Koulibaly, with whom he formed one of Serie A's tightest defences. He made 236 appearances for I Partenopei before returning to Spain last summer.
Left Backs
Faouzi Ghoulam - The Algerian international has unfortunately suffered from a multitude of injury problems over the last three seasons, but that doesn't in any way diminish his achievements in his first three and a half seasons at Napoli. In his prime, he was an intelligent and pacy full-back, who seemed like he could run for days.
Giovanni Francini - Like his modern counterpart, Francini had bags of stamina. He had a reputation for tough-tackling, but also possessed a high degree of skill, with his ability to put incredibly accurate crosses into the box. He was a part of the Napoli side that won the Scudetto in 1990.
Centre Midfielders
Marek Hamšík - Napoli's joint all-time top scorer in addition to their all-time appearance maker, Hamšík stayed loyal to I Partenopei for 12 years, helping the club to win two Coppa Italia. Known for being able to create goals as well as scoring them, the Slovakian international racked up 99 assists and netted 121 times in 520 appearances.
Fernando De Napoli - A versatile midfielder with a name befitting the club he had his most successful spell with, De Napoli played for Napoli between 1986 and 1992, making 176 league appearances. Capable of being effective defensively in addition to his ability to create chances, he was a key part of the Partenopei side which won four trophies in the late 80s and early 90s.
Jorginho - An intelligent player, an accurate passer and a reliable penalty taker, Napoli was the place where Jorginho made his name. He joined I Partenopei halfway through his first ever season in the Italian top flight with Hellas Verona and instantly established himself a key player, playing a particularly important role in Napoli challenging for the Scudetto in 2017/18.
Alemão - A reliable defensive midfielder, Alemão was a crucial part of the Napoli side that won the UEFA Cup and a Scudetto, with his versatility and tactical intelligence proving incredibly helpful over the course of the four years he spent in Naples.
Wingers
Lorenzo Insigne - Bar a few loan spells with clubs below Serie A, Insigne has spent the entirety of his career at Napoli, staying loyal to his hometown club in spite of constant rumours linking him with a move away. A pacy winger who possesses the ability to accurately pass and cross, the Italian international is also a fairly consistent goalscorer, having netted 86 times in 334 appearances.
José Callejón - Another signing from Real Madrid, Callejón has been with Napoli for nearly seven years, and it has been rare to watch an I Partenopei game where he has not appeared. Like any good winger, the Spaniard can both create and score goals, with 77 assists and 80 goals in 336 appearances.
Ezequiel Lavezzi - The Argentinian was one of Napoli's first signings following their return to Serie A 2007 and proved to be a particularly astute signing, developing a reputation for being an incredibly creative and speedy player. He scored 48 goals in 188 appearances before earning a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2012.
Attacking Midfielders
Diego Maradona - Who else? A Neapolitan icon who still can't walk around the narrow streets of Naples without being mobbed by dozens of adoring fans, Maradona played for Napoli during the period where he was considered the world's best player. He made 259 appearances for I Partenopei, scoring 115 goals, becoming the protagonist of their success in the late 80s and early 90s.
Gianfranco Zola - Before becoming a Chelsea legend, Zola made a name for himself at Napoli, where he was Maradona's protégé. He possessed a keen eye for goal, scoring on 27 occasions in his final two seasons, and helped I Partenopei to a Scudetto in 1990. He left for Parma in 1993 due to Napoli's financial problems.
Strikers
Gonzalo Higuaín - Though joining Napoli's fierce rivals Juventus somewhat destroyed his standing among I Partenopei fans, his achievements at the club still remain. He enjoyed three incredibly prolific seasons at the Stadio San Paolo, scoring 91 goals in 146 games. This includes the 36 goals he scored in the 2016/17, where he equalled the record for the most goals scored in a Serie A season.
Edinson Cavani - One of the best strikers in Europe during his prime, Cavani earned a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 as a result of his goalscoring exploits with Napoli. He scored 104 goals in 138 appearances, netting more than 30 times in each of the three seasons he played for the club.
Dries Mertens - Initially a winger, Maurizio Sarri uncovered a world-class goalscorer when he moved Mertens to a striking position. As a result, the Belgian has become Napoli's joint all-time top scorer with 121 goals under his belt.
Careca - Considered to be one of the best strikers in Brazilian history, which is an astonishing achievement considering some of the strikers they've produced, Careca enjoyed his most successful spell with Napoli, where he scored 95 goals in 221 games, helping them to win three trophies.
Emanuele Calaiò - On this list by virtue of being a cult-hero as opposed to his footballing ability, the journeyman striker had the most notable spell of his career with Napoli, where his prolific goalscoring helped them to achieve back-to-back promotions from Serie C to Serie A.