Mat she could understand the players of Ajax Amsterdam. After the historic home defeat of 6-1 against SSC Napoli in the Champions League last week, the underdogs wanted to get out of the Johann Cruyff Arena as quickly as possible, and maybe out of the picture altogether. The exchange of jerseys failed, as was critically noted in Italy.
Understandable, as I said, that the Ajax players had nothing left for sporting gestures after the bitter defeat. But also short-sighted in perspective. Because having a jersey by, say, Khvicha Kvaratschelia in your closet in a few months’ time isn’t too bad of a prospect. This Wednesday, when Ajax travel to Napoli’s Maradona Stadium for the second leg, the Dutch will have a second chance.
Soccer spectacle in Naples
Who please is Khvicha Kvaratschelia? That’s what the Tifosi of SSC Napoli asked themselves in the summer. The midfielder from Georgia, who was born in Tbilisi 21 years ago, is now something of the man of the hour on Mount Vesuvius. Naples paid ten million euros for him to Dinamo Batuni. Kwarazchelia has cast a spell over Naples since the start of the season.
He outsmarts opponents with ease, shoots from all angles, has already scored five goals in Serie A and one in the Champions League. It’s popular everywhere, but especially so in Naples, which specializes in calcio spettacolo, football spectacles.
Hurricane against Liverpool
There are already murals in the city with Kwarazchelia’s likeness. After nine matchdays, the team is not only the leader of Serie A, but is also at the top of Champions League Group A with three wins most recently Ajax in Amsterdam with a 6:1.
Napoli never won higher in Europe either. British reporters experienced a “hurricane” in the opening game against Liverpool. “Cosmic”, club president Aurelio De Laurentiis thought of his team in Holland. The “Gazzetta dello Sport” expects “total football” again this Wednesday.
Napoli wins 6-1 against Ajax Amsterdam.
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Image: dpa
The question is where does Naples go this season with such compelling, electrifying and fleet-footed performances. For the last eight games, coach Luciano Spalletti’s team have only won, mostly by a significant goal difference. And of all things in a season that was planned as a season of upheaval.
Lorenzo Insigne, Napoli’s thumping captain and playmaker, joined Toronto FC in Canada in the summer. Dries Mertens, the club’s top scorer with 148 goals, was drawn to Galatasaray. And regular defender Kalidou Koulibaly was signed by Chelsea for 38 million.
Kalidou Koulibaly joined Chelsea from SSC Napoli.
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Image: Reuters
Naples lost an entire axis, the bookmakers bet on the crisis. Now, Georgia’s Kvarazchelia isn’t the only reason behind the team’s surprising development. Coach Spalletti, who has been in Naples since 2021, recognizes a “more mature environment” than last year. And yet there is “an enthusiasm in the team like children having fun,” he says. In addition to Spalletti’s leadership and expertise as a coach, the sports director Cristiano Giuntoli should also be mentioned, who has been bringing largely unknown players to Naples for years, who then become stars here.
“Kwaradona” or “Kwaravaggio”?
In the past, these were midfield star Piotr Zielinski or striker Victor Osimhen, who is slowly coming back to the team after a serious facial operation with a broken eye socket. His absence was not noticeable, with new signings Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone replacing him completely, alternating up front.
Italy international Raspadori has scored four goals so far and is the antithesis to the extroverted former captain Lorenzo Insigne: tattooless, no jewelry, university student. Simeone, called “cholito”, son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, impresses with his dynamism.
He scored the winning goal with a header in the away win against AC Milan and has also scored twice in the Champions League. Twelve players have scored goals for SSC Napoli this season, a diversity that is the highest in Europe. In Naples, the city that venerates Diego Armando Maradona like a saint, the exaggerated comparisons have long since begun.
New star Kwarazchelia has even been asked which nickname he would prefer. “Kwaradona” based on the immortal Napoli idol or “Kwaravaggio” because of his ingenious football brushstrokes? The 21-year-old Georgian was undeterred by the Neapolitan euphoria. “My nickname is Kwara,” he said. “That’s enough.”
