Should I be a Napoli fan?

Discussion in 'Napoli' started by PsychedelicCeltic, Apr 9, 2008.

  1. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    Right, I've been getting increasingly interested in Serie A and I'm thinking about what team to support. I hate the idea of just 'picking' a team, but the reality is I'm not Italian or do I have any Italian ancestry, and I'm probably not going to go to Italy for at least six months, possibly a year or longer, and I can't wait that long.

    I've narrowed down the choices to Roma and Napoli, and I'll ask the gialorossi fans in a few days once they cool off from the CL. Help me pick which badge I stick on my bag (I bought both outside the Emirates, lol). What a prize, eh?

    I like Napoli because of the passion of the supporters, the Maradona factor, the story (bankruptcy, rise from C1 into A), etc. Also, and pardon to Neapolitans as I hope this doesn't sound patronizing, I like the way the southern half of Italy, Naples in particular, is often criticized as 'everything that's wrong' in Italy, and how Neapolitans have used SSC Napoli as a shield and as a source of local pride, particularly in the 80s.

    What I wanted to use this thread for was to solicit opinions on Napoli, in essence try and sell to me your club, as if I was some discerning consumer (good god that makes me sound like a gloryhunter). We have the best ultras, Hamsik is going to be a superstar, Roma are all prats, are all worthy of my perusal. Convince me.

    Also one major thing, a nuts and bolts point if you like: If you think Napoli are particularly easy to follow in the UK or to a lesser extent the USA, tell me. Bars in London/San Francisco (where I'm from originally) run or frequented by Napoli fans is a major plus point. Both clubs have obvious attractions, but part of the reason it's between Napoli and Roma for me is that North Beach has a strong Roman contingent and a good cafe run by a big Roma fan, and obviously you can't walk six feet in any Italian-American neighborhood without running into someone of Neapolitan descent.
     
  2. FNU

    FNU BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Mar 6, 2007
    Monte Vesuvio
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    If you are truly interested, I suggest by going through the Season Ticket Holder thread by Randy. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=591434

    You've come up with a lot of good points as to why you would want to support Napoli.
    I'm not one to support more than one club, but I won't deter anyone from wanting to support my club and new supporters are always welcome in my book.
    Considering the fans, we probably have the best away support in all of Italy, at least when are fans are not banned. :rolleyes: Like you mentioned, we're like the black sheep of Italy, even the LEGA thinks so every time we get a ban or fine for anything we do.

    We have one of the most celebrated "gemellaggios" with Genoa stemming back to 1982. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmIW0bnNkY4
    We used to have one with Roma but they got mad when we starting getting good with Maradona and broke it off. Sporci Romani.

    Considering the actual club, you know our history. Comparing us to Roma, we've actually won in Europe, they have one more scudetto. Looking towards the future, we have a few young guns and we play exciting football. Most importantly, especially at home, we never give up till the final whistle. After watching Roma against MU tonight, I would question their heart. Do you really want to support a club like that?
    [youtube]PsHbHJtNHBM[/youtube]

    We'll also have a 50mil transfer war chest for next season, Roma is looking to sell out because one of their companies are in debt. Our president is Napoletano and cares very much for our club, and our DG Marino is one of the best in Italy finding talent. He turned around Udinese, and he's doing a great job with us.
     
  3. NapoliNewJersey

    NapoliNewJersey New Member

    Aug 13, 2006
    New Jersey
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    If you wanna follow Roma then they aren't a bad choice. BUT .....


    I suggest watching some games. Napoli games ... Roma games... and then seeing which one gets your heart beating a little harder.

    My family is from Napoli so it's easier for me to choose. When I watch Napoli my heart beats hard and then freezes. When they score I feel Euphoric. I feel as if (and I don't know what this feels like but I imagine) like I just shot up heroine and my body just goes numb. Sometimes it gives me energy... enough to jump up and break something that's close by. Sometimes it takes my energy away like I just ran a million miles and I have to just lay there to catch my breath. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a dream state and it's not real.... it all depends.

    I like Roma because I like Doni, Totti, Aquilani and so on but as far as a team ... I think they're a gimic. They're a good team but not good enough. They're in Champions League but they're not Champions. They're stuck up but they don't have the backing to merit thier additude.

    I've been to Roma and thier is nothing there that should make them think they're better than the rest of Italy .... but they do.... for some reason they do.

    Napoli is ghetto, it's poor, it's scummy.... but when Sunday comes and Napoli plays ... people watch, they have hope, they feel good about themselves.... outside the San Paolo means nothing.

    The first time I walked into the San Paolo I almost died. I felt like I'd seen heaven and now nothing else matters.

    I go to Italy twice a year and both times are planned around Napoli home games. I missed my march trip where we beat Inter ... (still pissed about that) .. but I plan on buying season tickets next year.

    Follow Randy's post... it's all you need.
     
  4. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I can stay here all day giving reasons but in the end it has everything to do with your motivations. You can't cheer a club you cannot relate to. There has to be something about this club that has to attract you, and that will have to depend on your personality. What do you love about soccer? Do you find yourself admiring a player, then following that particular players team? Do you always cheer the team that gets the most glory? Is there something about that teams tradition and style that you admire? Or do you always cheer the underdog?

    Napoli is an underdog team that plays in an underdog city. When the team does good, the people let you know it. When they do bad, you feel it in the air. It literally becomes the heart beat of the city. Many fans can make that arguement for their clubs, but if you've ever been to Naples you'd understand it a little better. I'm not going to get into the social/economic problems of the city, but many people live hard. The team is their only chance to be on level with the big cities of italy. It's their only chance to feel important.

    Alot of people give us shit because they still say we're clinging on to the Maradona era, but people don't realize how much of a big deal it was and that something like that would never happen again.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TClYDs3yG74

    As for our team today, we have an extremely motivated president who is committed to turning this club into one of the top teams in Italy and eventually Europe. He has made Napoli his project and wants to turn our club into a brand. From interviews he said he wants to make napoli the "Arsenal of italy" (so you might like that). What this means exactly? We can only guess he wants a young, fast exciting product on the field just like we had back in the old days.

    Our sporting director PierPaolo Marino has one of the best eyes in italy for spotting talent. Here's a clip of one of the best new young defenders in italy Fabiano Santacroce (before january no one knew who he was, now he has half of italy after him) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EXhPwMhbrI

    Anyway. I'm sure others will list other good reasons. But if i can offer some advice : take your time when deciding on who to support. It has to be genuine. Don't pick a team for the sake of picking a team, and don't go supporting a team just because of their trophies. It's like going out with a girl just because she is hot, and then you find out she's a dull as hell and lame in bed. It's like the difference between watching a game in Naples, or watching a Juve play into front of a funeral crowd at the olympic stadium of turin? Understand?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzF3fPcUIsg
     
  5. FNU

    FNU BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Mar 6, 2007
    Monte Vesuvio
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I would like to add, since you support Arsenal, that you should only "support" one club. You can "follow" others, but you can only have one love. ;)

    NNJ, is this you? lol
    [youtube]Bj1WpQYzhKc[/youtube]

    Concerning our president, it looks as though his distribution/production company has launched a website.
    http://www.filmauro.it/index_home.html

    They're probably doing very well, and the movie titles are A movies. I hear he's in NY and LA this week, looks like he's going for more American titles to distribute in Italy. :D

    AURELIO DE LAURENTIIS

    Aurelio De Laurentiis is one of the most important producers on the Italian film scene. In 1975 he founded FILMAURO, which has more than 300 films to its credit in terms of production and distribution, ranging from Mario Monicelli’s Un Borghese Piccolo Piccolo to Luc Besson’s The Professional, The Fifth Element and Le Grand Bleu, Ettore Scola’s Maccheroni, Woody Allen’s Bullets over Broadway, Pupi Avati’s Il Testimone dello Sposo, Robert Altman’s Prêt-à-Porter, Roberto Benigni’s Il Mostro, Pedro Almodovar’s High Heels and Kika, Cristina Comencini’s Matrimoni, Bigas Luna’s Jamon Jamon, David Lynch’s Blu Velvet and Wild at Heart, Michael Cimino’s Year of the Dragon, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Barton Fink, Roman Polanski’s Pirates and Bitter Moon, The Blair Witch Project, Francis Véber’s The Dinner Game, The Closet and Tais Tois, Ridley Scott’s Hannibal, Giovanni Veronesi’s Per Amore solo per Amore, Che ne sara’ di noi and Manuale d’Amore, Kerry Conran’s Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow, the Oscar®’s winner Crash by Paul Haggis (Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Screenplay, Best Achievement in Editing, and David di Donatello 2006 for Best Foreign Picture).

    Aurelio De Laurentiis is the mind behind some series of movies that have been real blockbusters, reaching the top positions at the box office every year, including the series Amici Miei and Vacanze di Natale. After bringing millions of people into theatres, these films have enjoyed very high television ratings and video sales. The most recent hits have been Natale sul Nilo, Natale in India, Christmas in Love - Italy’s most successful films of 2002, 2003, 2004. Natale a Miami earned the highest revenues in the Italian market in 2005, outperforming King-Kong, Harry Potter, Narnia’s chronicles and Madagascar. Natale a New York earned the highest revenues during the 2006 Christmas holidays: US $ 36,000.000.
    Manuale d’Amore, one of the highest box office of 2005 (David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actress to Margherita Buy, and Best Supporting Actor to Carlo Verdone) and Il mio miglior nemico (My best enemy), third place in the 2006’s Italian box office.

    Aurelio De Laurentiis’s activities as a producer are not only confined to the Italian cinema. He has also co-produced French films such as Tais Toi and Les Rivières Pourpres 2. He co-produced with John Avnet and fully financed Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and is now developing various international projects, such as Io Uccido (based on Giorgio Faletti’s best-seller), I Beati Paoli (based on Luigi Natoli’s novel) and The Empire of Dragons (based on Valerio Manfredi’s best-seller).

    FILMAURO not only finances films, but also has its own distribution house and home video distribution system.

    From 1993 to 2003 Aurelio De Laurentiis was President of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF, 26 member countries) and was then made Honorary President for life.
    Since 1997 he has been a shareholder of Cinecittà Studios, and since October 2001 President of the National Union of Film Producers (UNPF) of Italy’s National Association of Film, Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries (ANICA).
    In 2000 he received a prize at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for his work as a producer and distributor.
    In September 2002 he was nominated, in France, Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic. In December 2002 he was awarded the Vittorio De Sica’s Prize for the Italian cinema.
    In 2003 the traditional power list of the Italian cinema, drawn up each year by the Italian film industry’s most prominent magazines, Ciak and Box Office, placed Aurelio De Laurentiis as number one.
    In February 2005 he won the Nastro D’Argento Award as Best Producer for the films Che ne sarà di noi and Tutto in quella notte.
    In April 2005 Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the President of Italy, has honored him with the title of “Grand Officer of the Italian Republic”.
    In June 2005 Aurelio De Laurentiis received the Golden Ciak as Best Producer for Manuale d’Amore.
    In November 2005 the traditional event in Assisi, a review of the best Italian cinema authors, was completely dedicated to Aurelio De Laurentiis (the first time for a producer).
    In June 2006 Aurelio De Laurentiis received the Golden Globe from the Foreign Press in Italy.
    In July 2006 he received the Giffoni Award of Giffoni Film Festival 2006.
    In January 2007 he was nominated, by the Major of Roma Walter Veltroni, “Ambassador of Roma”.

    In September 2004 Aurelio De Laurentiis founded Napoli Soccer, the famous soccer team of Napoli. In 2006 Napoli Soccer won its league and is now playing in the Italian second division. 2007 SSC Napoli back in Serie A.

    (Rome, January 2007)
    This gives us a good idea of who he is, what he does, and his worth which is probably more than we thought.
     
  6. NapoliNewJersey

    NapoliNewJersey New Member

    Aug 13, 2006
    New Jersey
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Take away the girl scream and that is exactly me.lol.
     
  7. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    Keep em coming fellas.
     
  8. FNU

    FNU BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Mar 6, 2007
    Monte Vesuvio
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    lol Napoli is the home of pizza. Our cuisine is also the best in Italy.
     
  9. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Im at work now, when i get a little time, i'll get more for you
     
  10. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    lol. I had puttanesca last night and am making a white clam pie (ok, more New Haven near where my dad is from, but invented by Neapolitan immigrants) tonight.

    Trust me, that was a major factor in selecting Napoli.. :D

    I'm going to go ask the Romans now what they think, I'm sure they've cooled off after De Rossi's audition for the NFL on Wednesday.
     
  11. FNU

    FNU BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Mar 6, 2007
    Monte Vesuvio
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    [youtube]ixFSBkRFkWM[/youtube]

    NAPOLI ULTRAS lol :D
     
  12. NickyViola

    NickyViola Member+

    May 10, 2004
    Boston
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    I don't see how anyone could 'become' a Roma fan with their horrific fans. I think that Napoli is a fine choice and they are going places. I, of course, also think that Fiorentina is a very fine choice, and I'm sure we'll be making more trips to England than Napoli will... :p
     
  13. FNU

    FNU BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Mar 6, 2007
    Monte Vesuvio
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Don't jinx it! :p
     
  14. NickyViola

    NickyViola Member+

    May 10, 2004
    Boston
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    And, intellectually speaking, Napoli has another strike against it. The best thing about being a Napoli supporter would be attending home matches. The second best thing would be watching home matches. You can't watch Napoli home matches in San Francisco or (I believe) in London.

    Just don't choose Roma. You can't choose Roma. I really think that most Roma supporters just have man-crushes on Totti.

    This is a purple planet. Hendrix knew it. Prince knew it. I know it.

    I wish we had Lavezzi, though. ;)
     
  15. FNU

    FNU BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Mar 6, 2007
    Monte Vesuvio
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    That won't be the case next season.
     
  16. NickyViola

    NickyViola Member+

    May 10, 2004
    Boston
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    Ahhh... If that's true then Napoli would be a fine team to support from afar.
     
  17. RandyNA74

    RandyNA74 Member

    Jun 9, 2004
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    It's official: the dude should support Napoli and sympathize with Fiorentina. :)
     
  18. FNU

    FNU BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Mar 6, 2007
    Monte Vesuvio
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Nick is part Napoletano. :cool:
     
  19. NickyViola

    NickyViola Member+

    May 10, 2004
    Boston
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    I'm cool with that. It's decided, then. And yes, my dad is Naploitano/Siciliano. I have a shirt that I bought in a little, hidden shop in an alleyway in Naples that I still get compliments on every time I wear it. I love Napoli (the city) as I am a grimy, urban kinda guy.
     
  20. RandyNA74

    RandyNA74 Member

    Jun 9, 2004
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    You can't leave us hangin'...what's the deal with the shirt?
     
  21. NickyViola

    NickyViola Member+

    May 10, 2004
    Boston
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    lol No biggie, really. I wouldn't have bought it but I was on the way to a girl's house in just a T-Shirt. I walked down this alley and noticed an open door so I looked around and found this one. It cost (I think) $3 and this was about 20 years ago. It's designed to always be "wrinkly." I only wear it about once every 6 months, or so, but I ALWAYS get complimented on it. It's my go-to shirt.
     
  22. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Here's some more :

    While Napoli's fans aren't really known for their coreographies (lately) at least we can boast that our fans occupy BOTH terraces of our stadium (unlike Roma who only occupy the south end). It makes the Stadio San Paolo one of the toughest stadiums to play in. Even despite having an athletics track, the Stadio San Paolo was voted the 7th most intimidating stadium to play in. As you can tell from Randy's season ticket holder thread, it makes for great fun! Especially when the big teams are in town.

    From that top ten list :"The 3rd biggest ground in Italy is probably its most intimidating. The Neapolitans are a passionate people and this transmits to its football team as well. During the glory days of Maradona and Careca the San Paulo became a true stronghold - a wall of noise, blue flares, banners and fans draping over the enormous upper tier curves. A real theatre of adrenaline. If ever there was a fitting home for Maradona to ply his trade then it was here. The team may no longer be in Serie A following years of financial debacles but the fans are still turning out in force. Get them back in Serie A, or hand them a plum Coppa Italia tie and the Stadio San Paulo, like the nearby Mount Vesuvius, will be like a Volcano waiting to erupt."

    Here's a vid of both the Curva A and the Curva B talking to eachother:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WZNvoy3nPQ

    Curva B pre match :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iS8w2nMD0w

    For you to get an idea of how passionate our fans are, when we were in serie C1 (italy's third division) our fans broke the attendance record. 50k +. I can't imagine any of the big clubs pulling those numbers. When Juve were the cream of the crop of italy, they had trouble getting 20k in that cemetery Delle Alpi.

    [​IMG]
     
  23. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    What's the deal with you? I've read your thread on having a season ticket in the past, and your English is just too good, especially your idioms. And I don't know many guys from Italy named Randy. Did you grow up on the Naval Base?

    I'm officially leaning Napoli. I've only had a post on the Roma board for a few hours, we'll see where that goes.

    I kind of like the fact that the Napoli board has more people from Napoli than its Roman equivalent, even if that's kind of hypocritical.
     
  24. indestructible

    indestructible Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Jan 14, 2007
    Mercato Professor
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Not exactly a big reason, but i thought this was charming story you might like :

    In 2004, Roberto "el Pampa" Sosa had the chance to continue playing in serie A, but he decided to move down to C1 to help Napoli who had just been bankrupt. On his first day of practice, he said the team didn't even have a soccer ball to play with... so you can imagine how far we've come.

    Since then, El Pampa has been a symbol for the club. Today, he isn't the greatest center forward, but is still deadly in the air and can still score a big goal when he has to. He'll be leaving at the end of the season to go back to Argentina for family reasons. The fans will miss him dearly, there is no replacement for him.

    Here is a video of him scoring a goal with the #10 shirt. It was the last goal before the #10 was reitred. The fact that he cried afterwards showed you how passionate he was about Maradona, Agentina, and of course the city of Naples.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npwQJEgnLW8&feature=related
     
  25. NickyViola

    NickyViola Member+

    May 10, 2004
    Boston
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    I always assumed that, rather than being his name, 'Randy' was his state of mind...

    BTW: Awesome pic, Indestructible.
     

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