SSC Napoli in crisis before the Union-Berlin game

Hair-raising: Naples coach Rudi Garcia Image: Reuters

The enthusiasm at SSC Napoli has evaporated and the mood before the Champions League duel with Union is bad. Players are angry, the coach is about to be replaced, and the club boss is irritated.

Chwitscha Kwarazchelia now makes a funny gesture when he scores a goal. He stretches out his left arm, takes an imaginary arrow in his right hand and shoots it. The 22-year-old Georgian does this two more times in quick succession. This ends the celebration of one’s own effectiveness. The SSC Napoli attacker made this gesture twice last Saturday in the 3-1 away win at Hellas Verona, and he scored twice.

In view of such celebration scenes, one might think that the Italian champions are fully on track. But that’s not the case. Naples, visiting Union Berlin in the Champions League this Tuesday (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Champions League and on DAZN), is once again walking over an abyss.