SSC Napoli

Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly known as SSC Napoli or simply Napoli, is an Italian professional football club based in Naples. They play in Serie A, the top league of Italian football, and are one of the most successful clubs in the country.

The club was formed in 1926 after the merger of US Internazionale Napoli and Naples Foot-Ball Club. They won their first major trophy, the Coppa Italia, in 1962. Their success grew in the 1970s and 1980s, especially after Diego Maradona joined in 1984. With Maradona, Napoli won their first two league titles and other trophies. After Maradona left in 1991, Napoli faced hard times but were re-founded in 2004. They returned to Serie A in 2007 and have won more trophies since then.

Napoli has a large fan base in Italy and is one of the top clubs in Serie A. The club has played home games at Stadio San Paolo since 1959, which was renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in 2020. Napoli’s home colors are sky blue shirts and white shorts. They have rivalries with several other Italian clubs, including Juventus, Roma, Internazionale, AC Milan, and Salernitana. Their anthem is "Napoli," a famous song by Nino D'Angelo.

History

The Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, often called Napoli, is a famous football (soccer) club from Naples, Italy. They play in the top Italian league, called Serie A.

Napoli started in 1926 when two smaller teams, US Internazionale Napoli and Naples Foot-Ball Club, joined together. Before that, a team named Naples Foot-Ball & Cricket Club was formed in 1905 by some English sailors and local people. Over the years, Napoli has become one of Italy’s most successful clubs. They have won four league titles, six Coppa Italia cups, three Supercoppa Italiana trophies, and one UEFA Cup. Some of their biggest moments include winning the league in the 1980s with famous player Diego Maradona and recent titles in 2023 and 2024.

Club staff

Presidents

This section shows the history of leaders of Napoli from 1926 until today.

Managers

Napoli has had many coaches and trainers since 1926.

Players

Current squad

As of 2 February 2026

Note: Flags show which country's team a player could play for, according to FIFA eligibility rules. Some players might have more than one country they qualify for. Players may also have other nationalities that are not listed here.

SSC Napoli Primavera

As of 28 February 2026

These players are part of the SSC Napoli Youth Sector teams and have sometimes played in official matches for the main Napoli team. The shirt numbers shown are for the main team.

Note: Flags show which country's team a player could play for, according to FIFA eligibility rules. Some players might have more than one country they qualify for. Players may also have other nationalities that are not listed here.

Out on loan

As of 2 February 2026

Note: Flags show which country's team a player could play for, according to FIFA eligibility rules. Some players might have more than one country they qualify for. Players may also have other nationalities that are not listed here.

Retired numbers

Main article: Retired numbers in football

Note: Flags show which country's team a player could play for, according to FIFA eligibility rules. Some players might have more than one country they qualify for. Players may also have other nationalities that are not listed here.

In the year 2000, Napoli stopped using the number 10 shirt to honor the famous player Diego Maradona, who played for the club from 1984 to 1991.

Culture

Colours, badge and nicknames

The colors of Napoli come from the blue water of the Gulf of Naples. In the past, they used two shades of blue, but since the 1920s, they have used one shade called azure. This is why they share the nickname "Azzurri" with the Italy national team. Their home shirts are usually azure with white shorts, while their away shirts are white with white or blue shorts.

One nickname for Napoli is "I ciucci", meaning "the donkeys" in the Neapolitan language. They got this name after a weak performance in the 1926–27 season. The club later adopted a donkey mascot named "'O Ciuccio".

The first badge of Napoli showed a rampant horse on a football with the letters "ACN". Today, their badge has a large "N" inside a circle. This design comes from Internazionale Napoli. The badge sometimes includes the club's name around it, and the "N" is usually white but has been gold at times.

"Partenopei" is another nickname for both the club and people from Naples. It comes from Greek mythology, where the siren Parthenope tried to lure Odysseus to Capri. Parthenope, upset by his rejection, drowned herself, and her body washed ashore in Naples.

Supporters and rivalries

See also: Derby del Sole, Juventus FC–SSC Napoli rivalry, and Derby delle Due Sicilie

Napoli is a popular football club in Italy. Many people around the world enjoy watching Napoli play.

Napoli has some strong rivalries with other teams. Their biggest rivals are Juventus, and they also have rivalries with Roma, Milan, Internazionale, Fiorentina, Atalanta BC, Hellas Verona, Lazio, Bari, and Foggia. Fans of Napoli also have rivalries with Catanzaro and other regional teams like Avellino and Salernitana.

However, Napoli also has some friendly rivalries. They have a friendly rivalry with Palermo, called the Derby delle Due Sicilie, and with Catania, called the Derby del Vulcano. They also have friendships with teams outside Italy, such as Borussia Dortmund, Celtic, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Paris Saint-Germain, and Red Star Belgrade.

Finances

SSC Napoli had a hard time in 2004 and could not stay in the professional league. A new team named Napoli Soccer took its place, and the old team stopped playing. Fans helped by buying tickets and watching games on TV, which raised money for the club. Even though they had very little money at first, Napoli began to earn profits and became financially stable.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Stature and statistics

SSC Napoli is a famous football team from Naples, Italy. They play in the top Italian league called Serie A. The team was created in 1926 and has won many important prizes over the years.

The team has moved between different levels of Italian football leagues. Sometimes they played in the top league, Serie A, and sometimes they had to play in lower leagues like Serie B. In recent years, Napoli has been back in Serie A and has won the league in 2023 and 2025.

Honours

See also: SSC Napoli in European football

Other titles

• Coppa delle Alpi
  • Winners: (/wiki/1966_Cup_of_the_Alps)
• Anglo-Italian League Cup
  • Winners: (/wiki/Anglo-Italian_League_Cup#Winners)
• Central and Southern Italy Serie A-B Championship
  • Winners: 1945–46
• Serie B
  • Winners: 1949–50
• Serie C1
  • Winners: 2005–06 (Group B)

UEFA club coefficient ranking

As of 11 January 2026

Records and statistics

See also: List of SSC Napoli records and statistics and List of SSC Napoli players

Marek Hamšík played the most games for Napoli, with 520 appearances. He also has the most league appearances, with 408 games from 2007 to 2019.

Dries Mertens is Napoli's top goal scorer, with 148 goals. He also holds the record for the most league goals, with 113.

Diego Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A during the 1987–88 season with 15 goals. Later, Edinson Cavani in 2012–13, Gonzalo Higuaín in 2015–16, and Victor Osimhen in 2022–23 also scored 15 goals that season.

Gonzalo Higuaín scored the most goals in one league season for Napoli, with 36 goals in 2015–16.

Napoli's biggest ever win was 8–1 against Pro Patria in the 1955–56 season. Their biggest loss was 11–0 against Torino in the 1927–28 season.