As Napoli, where ‘monster’ Kim Min-jae belongs, is only one step away from winning the Italian Serie A for the first time in 33 years, the past promise of ‘eccentric owner’ Aurelio De Laurentiis is being re-examined.
ㅋㅋㅋ벳 Owner De Laurentiis, who was an Italian filmmaker, took over the club in 2004, when Napoli went bankrupt due to financial difficulties and was relegated to the third division, and has been leading the team as owner and chairman for nearly 20 years. It led to promotion to Serie A within three years of the acquisition. After promotion, Napoli, which was in mid-table, quickly entered the championship. After four runner-up finishes, he finally got a golden opportunity to end the 2022-2023 season. They conquered Italian football with aggressive football, with solid defense of Kim Min-jae, who joined this season, splendid performance of Hvitza Kravatshelia, and Victor Osimen’s ‘Wolcle’ decisiveness. As of the 32nd round, they have won 79 points, widening the gap with 2nd place Lazio (61 points) to 18 points with 6 games left. If they had won the home game against Salernitana on the 31st of last month, they could have won the scudetto for the first time in 33 years since 1990, but in the 39th minute of the second half, Dia gave an equalizer and drew 1:1, and the winning party was postponed to the next round. Even if you add just one point in the Udinese expedition on the 5th, you can lift the championship cup.
Meanwhile, former Napoli player Daniele Dino praised De Laurentiis’s achievements. “It’s exciting to see Napoli win the Scudetto. Napoli is a city and a team of citizens,” he told Italian broadcaster ‘SportItalia’. It started when I took over,” he said. “When you see De Laurentiis, you think of Berlusconi. When Berlusconi took over Milan, he was a different character. He surprised people by saying he would make Milan the best team in the world. De Laurentiis also promised the Scudetto (after the acquisition). Over the years, he has steadily developed the team. He discovered Cavani, Higuain, and Hamsik. Most coaches have developed the team remarkably according to the owner’s guidelines of ‘Napoli’s Scudetto’.” Dino played for Napoli on loan for one season between 1996 and 2002 while playing for Milan.
De Laurentiis is known as the eccentric owner in Italy. He comes down to the stadium and argues with the referee about the decision, and often spits out vicious and absurd remarks in interviews. However, with infinite affection for Napoli, he spared no investment and finally kept his promise of winning Serie A. Diego Maradona’s son said, “His father will be watching from heaven.” The owner of De Laurentiis discovered the potential of Kim Min-jae, who had been active at Fenerbahce this season, and recruited him.