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. Napoli has won four league titles, six Coppa Italia titles, three Supercoppa Italiana trophies, and one UEFA Cup.

The club was formed in 1926 as Associazione Calcio Napoli after the merger of US Internazionale Napoli and Naples Foot-Ball Club. They did not win their first major trophy until the 1962 Coppa Italia. Their success grew in the 1970s and 1980s, especially after the arrival of Diego Maradona in 1984. With Maradona, Napoli won their first two league titles in the 1986–87 and 1989–90 seasons, along with other important trophies. After Maradona left in 1991, Napoli faced financial difficulties, bankruptcy, and relegations before being re-founded in 2004. They returned to Serie A in 2007 and have remained a top club, winning more trophies in recent years.

Napoli has the fourth-largest fan base in Italy and was ranked as the fifth-highest-earning football club in Serie A. The club has played its home games at Stadio San Paolo since 1959, which was renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in 2020 after the beloved former player’s passing. Napoli’s traditional home colors are sky blue shirts and white shorts, and they have rivalries with several other Italian clubs, including Juventus, Roma, Internazionale, AC Milan, and Salernitana. Their anthem is "Napoli," a famous song by Neapolitan singer 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 was 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 grown to 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. The last players to wear this number were Fausto Pizzi, Beto, Igor Protti, and Claudio Bellucci.

For some years, the number 10 was used again because of league rules, but it was finally retired for good. The last player to wear the number 10 and score a goal in an important match was Mariano Bogliacino in 2006 against Spezia. Roberto Sosa was the last to wear the number 10 in a big match at the San Paolo Stadium.

Culture

Colours, badge and nicknames

The colors of Napoli come from the blue waters of the Gulf of Naples. In the past, they used two shades of blue, but since the 1920s, they have used a single 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. Odysseus tied himself to the ship's mast to resist her song. 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 very popular football club in Italy, with about 13% of fans choosing to support them. Many people around the world also enjoy watching Napoli play, with over 35 million fans globally and even more who like to see their matches.

Napoli has some very strong rivalries with other teams. Their biggest rivals are Juventus, and they also have strong 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 tough time in 2004 and had to leave the professional league. A new team called Napoli Soccer took over, and the old team stopped operating. Fans helped a lot by buying tickets and watching games on TV, which brought in money for the club. Even though they started with very little money, Napoli began to earn profits and became stable financially.

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 over the years. 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 has played the most games for Napoli, with 520 appearances. He also holds the record for 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. This was later matched by Edinson Cavani in 2012–13, Gonzalo Higuaín in 2015–16, and Victor Osimhen in 2022–23.

Gonzalo Higuaín scored the most goals in a single 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.