Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, or Napoli as they are commonly known, is a football team based in Naples, Italy. The club is an established Italian Serie A team where it has spent most of its 85-year history. The club was founded in 1926 when it was initially called as the Associazione Calcio Napoli. The club changed its name to its present form in 1964, and since then, a lot of successes followed. Prior to the name change, Napoli was relegated to the second division, but it came back to the top flight in 1950.
The club as also called, briefly from 2004 to 2006, has Napoli Soccer. Fans of Napoli are called as the Azzurri, and the club play at the Stadio San Paolo, which has a total capacity of just over 60,000 people. The club moved to its new stadium in 1959. After its first name change in 1964, Napoli did not take long to find success under their new name. The club lifted the Serie A title in the 1986–87 and 1989–90 seasons. A crucial part of the success was down to Diego Maradona, one of the greatest players to have played for Napoli.
Prior to attracting Diego Maradona, Napoli had also won the Coppa delle Alpi in 1966 and the Anglo-Italian League Cup in 1976. Napoli was on the rise during the 1970s, when the team consistently contested against the likes of Juventus and AC Milan for the title. The club also came very close to winning the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1976. However, they were beaten in the finals by Anderlecht. The most important period for the club came at the start of the 1980s when the club struggled a little both domestically and in Europe.
In order to get Napoli back on track once again, the club signed Diego Maradona for a world record fee of € 12 million in 1984. Since from Barcelona, the megastar instantly settled into life in Italy and it followed up with some of the most successful years for Napoli. Their greatest ever season – 1986-87 – saw them achieve a historic double by winning both the League and cup.
The club also won their first UEFA cup in 1989, with Maradona crucial to Napoli’s success. Their second title came in the 1989-90 season when they pipped AC Milan to the title at the last moment. In memory of Diego Maradona, Napoli announced that they would be retiring the number 10 shirt worn by the Argentine. The new decade saw Napoli relegated to the second division once again, but they have since come back strongly to remain in the Italian Serie A. Aside from Diego Maradona, players like Attila Sallustro, Antonio Vojak, Antonio Juliano, and Giuseppe Bruscolotti have represented the club.
Due to their location, Napoli have fierce rivalry with Roma, with both teams contesting in the Derby del Sole. Other clubs that Napoli have a fierce rivalry include Hellas Verona and Lazio.