Ranking Napoli's 10 Best Home Kits of All Time
The beautiful blue kits of Napoli have become one of the most iconic sights in Italian football. A homage to the sparking blue water of the Gulf of Naples, the shade of azure has become synonymous with the Partenopei and their style and class on the pitch.
While the Italians have gone through a number of kit manufacturers and sponsors, the blue home kit has always remained the same. From the masterpieces worn in the days of Diego Maradona to the modern designs associated with Edinson Cavani, Napoli have had some classics.
In honour of the Partenopei, 90min ranks the 10 best Napoli shirts of all time.
10. Nike (1999 – 2000)
Nike only made Napoli’s kits for three years, but this one proved to be one of the best. The team wore this shirt with a ‘Peroni’ sponsor emblazoned across the front, though the sponsorless version pictured is certainly far more appealing.
The clean design with almost silk-like material really makes the kit stand out, along with the blue collar and the neat black trims. It is quite a rare Napoli shirt to this day, but a stunning one nonetheless that deserves much more praise.
9. Kappa (2019 – 2020)
It’s not often the latest kit features on a top 10 list, but Italian manufacturer pulled it out of the bag for the current season. Although the two sponsors are a bit much, the actual design of the shirt helps make up for it.
The black-and-white trim on the collar looks excellent, and the white sides mix really nicely with the classic blue front. Napoli’s current kit is another underrated version of their home kit, thanks to its cool and clever design.
8. Macron (2013 – 2014)
One of the simpler kits Napoli have worn, though the smooth striped collar looks fantastic on the light blue shirt. Made by Macron for the 2013/14 season, it's plain yet clean, nicely using the sky-blue colours made famous by the club.
Napoli wore the kit en route to winning the Coppa Italia for the fifth time, beating Fiorentina 3-1 in the final. Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuaín enjoyed an excellent season in front of goal, with 24 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
7. Kappa (2016 – 2017)
Another simple Napoli kit of recent times to make the list, but the clean, simple designs are always the best. Kappa returned to their classic tight-fit shirts, a throwback to Italy’s 2002 kit worn in the World Cup of that year.
The smooth white front is complemented by the gold trim on the Kappa logos, always a welcome sight on any football shirts. Napoli just missed out on the Serie A title that season, finishing third and five points behind eventual champions Juventus.
6. Kappa (2005 – 2006)
This kit is synonymous with Napoli’s climb back up to the top, after going bankrupt in 2004. They spent the 2005/06 season in Serie C1 – the third division of Italian football – and wore this simple yet slick kit with a nice white collar to top it off.
It proved to be a lucky kit in a successful season, as Napoli won the league and earned promotion to Serie B. They went straight back up to Serie A to seal back-to-back promotions, reinstating their place as one of the top forces in Italian football.
5. Umbro (1991 – 1993)
The 1990s began with this outstanding kit from Umbro, a mix of the simple designs of the past and the eccentric designs of the decade. The vibrant blue design stands out on top of the plain white shorts, a beautiful Napoli kit made by the English brand.
Napoli finished fourth in Serie A the first year they wore this, before dropping to 11th in the 1992/93 season. It marked the beginning of the Partenopei’s sorry decline down the table and eventually down the divisions, taking years to recover.
4. Macron (2014 – 2015)
The 2014/15 kit is the highest entry of the modern designs, once again deserving praise for its simplicity and smooth blue appearance. By then, the bold red ‘Lete’ sponsor had become well and truly associated with the club, with the water brand sponsoring them since 2005.
This season proved to be a successful one in cup competitions, as Napoli won the Supercoppa Italiana. They also reached two semi-finals, losing in the Europa League to Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and edged out by Lazio in the Coppa Italia.
3. Ennere (1987 – 1988)
So good are the top three entries here, they could’ve deservedly featured in any order. In third is the 1987/88 kit, made by small Italian brand Ennere and modelled by the great Diego Armando Maradona.
The kit is an absolute classic, with the Italian crests on either side of the chest and the Napoli badge moved over to the right sleeve. The all blue design looks glorious along with the ‘Buitoni’ sponsor, a truly stunning Napoli kit that has lived on in legacy for decades.
Despite being one of the best ever Napoli kits, the season proved to be an anomaly in the absence of silverware. The 1987/88 campaign was the only one in a five-year period where the Partenopei didn’t win a trophy, finishing second in the league behind Milan.
2. Classic (1975 – 1976)
Of all the simple kits, this is the simplest and certainly the best of the plain blue shirts. There’s something so pure about a kit that has not only no sponsor, manufacturer or symbols, but not even the club’s badge emblazoned across the chest.
This is a stunning Napoli kit, a gorgeous design that would’ve stood out on the pitch. The thin white trim on the collar tops it off, truly encapsulating the classic style and tradition of the Naples club, whose history is filled with glory and dazzling football.
Napoli were managed by Brazilian Luís Vinício during this period, a former striker who spent five years with the club years earlier. He led the Partenopei to the Coppa Italia title that season, only the second triumph and major honour in the club’s history.
1. Ennere (1988 – 1989)
Alright, 'the top three could've been in any order' was a lie. There is surely no disputing this as the greatest Napoli home kit of all time. Their 1988/89 shirt was pure and powerful, plain yet beautiful, perfect in every way a football kit could be.
Another kit made by Ennere, the blue collar and trim blends into the shirt perfectly, with the shirt’s accessories in the badge, and sponsor mixing to perfection on the front. Napoli won their first ever European title in the UEFA Cup that season, beating Stuttgart 5-4 on aggregate.
This kit ticks all the boxes: it’s smart, simple and stylish, it was worn en route to lifting a major trophy, and it is associated with a club legend and one of the game’s greatest ever players. You cannot fault this shirt and its perfections, deservedly announcing it as the greatest ever Napoli home kit.