Udinese drew 1-1 with Napoli, ending a 33-year wait to win Serie A
Tonight, Udinese made history in their match against Napoli. After a short postponement, the game continued. Udinese's home stadium was almost full of blue-clad fans, and avid fans of the home team Udinese appeared to have left the scene. The players are about to play. If Napoli can win tonight, they will become the third team of this century to win Serie A with five games remaining. Juventus did it four years ago and Inter Milan did the same in the 2006-07 season. If they finish eighth at the end of the season, Udinese's results could be satisfactory. They have excellent home results, beating Inter Milan and AC Milan at their own stadium this season. However, they have lost three of their last five league games, losing 1-0 to Lecce in the last one. Udinese sit 14th in Serie A with no threat of relegation. Will they celebrate tonight? Napoli have won only two Serie A titles before, both in the era of legendary Diego Maradona, in 1987 and 1990. Maradona joined Napoli from Barcelona in 1984, where he spent seven years, winning the 1987 Coppa Italia and the 1989 UEFA Cup. Maradona made 188 appearances for Napoli, more than any other club in his career, scoring 81 goals. The former Argentine attacking midfielder died in November 2022 at the age of 60. Udinese led 1-0 in the 13 minutes of the match, with Slovenian striker Sandy Lovlik scoring his fifth goal of the season. Udinese midfielder Rodrigo Becau was fouled and Napoli were awarded a penalty. Victor Osimon equalised in what could be an all-time goal, his 22nd goal of the season. It's time to celebrate that 33 years of suffering are finally over tonight. Fans poured into the stadium and tears of joy flowed. Napoli became Serie A champions. No one can stop it. Naples is a city that embraces success. You can see, hear, and feel the atmosphere of success. It is found in the eyes and smiles, in playful chatter and swaggering steps. Neapolitans can taste the taste of success and they live in every moment. Napoli won the title for the first time since 1990. A flag celebrating the club's 3rd championship hangs on the balcony, and a banner "100% Champion" flutters in the breeze. Even the usually superstitious Neapolitans have been acknowledging for months that this is their year. Some worry the city won't be able to cope with the party that has been in the making for 33 years. Last Sunday, Napoli vs Salernitana was even postponed for 24 hours as officials feared a massive celebration could clash with a major comic book fair. The match ended in a draw and the celebrations were suspended, but after Napoli's triumph, they could finally celebrate the Serie A title in Udinese, far from home. "They had to walk all the way to the Slovenian border to do that, but who cares! "No one has put Napoli in the top four, let alone won the league. It's incredible. With so many highlights, I don't think you can say it went exactly as planned. "It all comes together, maybe it's a product of Serie A. Despite last week's disappointment because they didn't finish last week, they have 5 games left to win the league!" After 33 years of suffering, Napoli won Serie A for the first time since 1990, when Diego Maradona's team lifted the trophy. The celebratory atmosphere of a city is inspiring. 33 years of waiting came to naught overnight. Napoli and its fans should be proud of this achievement. It was a memorable moment that the whole city and the entire club should be proud of.
