1997–98 SSC Napoli season

S.S.C. Napoli crashed out of Serie A following a disastrous season. It only clinched 14 points out of 34 matches, despite having the services of several experienced Serie A players. Napoli went through four coaches over the course of the season, and hardly took a point in the second half of the season. Given the disastrous form of the team, Claudio Bellucci's ten goals were impressive, while thought top scorer Igor Protti was one of the largest disappointments of the entire series. The lack of defensive skills cost Napoli many points, and more than two goals were conceded on average. This was despite Roberto Ayala's brilliance, which earned him a transfer to Milan.

Napoli
1997–98 season
PresidentCorrado Ferlaino
ManagerBortolo Mutti
(until 6 October 1997)
Carlo Mazzone
(until 24 November 1997)
Giovanni Galeone
(until 9 February 1998)
Vincenzo Montefusco
StadiumSan Paolo
Serie A18th (in 1998-99 Serie B)
Coppa ItaliaLast 16
Top goalscorerClaudio Bellucci (10)

Only eight years following Napoli's second title, the club seemed to be in terminal decline, with hard work being needed to return to the top domestic league. Given that the club had not been relegated since a bankruptcy in 1964, the relegation was a shock, by the extremely poor season.

Squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   ITA Giuseppe Taglialatela
GK   ITA Raffaele Di Fusco
GK   ITA Ferdinando Coppola
DF   ARG Roberto Ayala
DF   ITA Francesco Baldini
DF   ITA Luigi Malafronte
DF   ITA Mauro Facci
DF   BEL Bertrand Crasson
DF   ITA Raffaele Sergio
DF   ITA Luigi Panarelli
DF   FRA William Prunier
DF   ITA Guglielmo Stendardo
DF   ITA Mirko Taccola
DF   ITA Mirko Conte
MF   ITA Marco Zamboni
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   ITA Raffaele Longo
MF   ITA Francesco Turrini
MF   ITA Roberto Goretti
MF   ITA Massimiliano Esposito
MF   ITA Giuseppe Giannini
MF   ITA Fabio Rossitto
MF   FRA Reynald Pedros
MF   ITA Gennaro Scarlato
MF   ITA Massimiliano Allegri
MF   CRO Aljoša Asanović
MF   ITA Angelo Cimadomo
MF   ITA Luca Altomare
FW   ITA Claudio Bellucci
FW   ITA Igor Protti
FW   ITA Gennaro Scarlato
FW   YUG Damir Stojak
FW   ITA Salvatore Bruno
FW   ARG José Luis Calderón

Transfers

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Winter

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Competitions

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Serie A

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League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
14 Vicenza 34 9 9 16 36 61 −25 36
15 Brescia (R) 34 9 8 17 45 63 −18 35 Relegation to Serie B
16 Atalanta (R) 34 7 11 16 25 48 −23 32
17 Lecce (R) 34 6 8 20 32 72 −40 26
18 Napoli (R) 34 2 8 24 25 76 −51 14
Source: 1997–98 Serie A, RSSSF.com, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Draw. (Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played).[1]
(R) Relegated

Results by round

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Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
ResultLWDLLLLLLDLLLLDLLDLWLLLDDLLLLLDLLD
Position119812141417171718181818181818181818181818181818181818181818181818
Source: Competitive matches
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; P = Postponed;   = Leader, 1998–99 UEFA Champions League Group stage;   = 1998–99 UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying round;   = 1998–99 UEFA Cup First round;   = Qualification to Intertoto Cup second round;   = Qualification to Intertoto Cup third round;   = 1998–99 Serie B

Matches

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31 August 1997 1 Lazio 2–0 Napoli Roma
Mancini   68'
Pancaro   76'
Stadium: Olimpico
14 September 1997 2 Napoli 2–1 Empoli Napoli
Bellucci   33'
Protti   48'
C. Esposito   77' Stadium: San Paolo
21 September 1997 3 Vicenza 1–1 Napoli Vicenza
Di Napoli   17' Turrini   18'
28 September 1997 4 Napoli 0–1 Atalanta Napoli
Caccia   50' Stadium: San Paolo
05 October 1997 5 Roma 6–2 Napoli Roma
Candela   16'
Gautieri   34'
Balbo   51, 60, 89'
Di Francesco   53'
Altomare   71'
Bellucci   87' (pen.)
Stadium: Olimpico
18 October 1997 6 Napoli 0–2 Internazionale Napoli
Galante   10'
Turrini   69' (o.g.)
Stadium: San Paolo
02 November 1997 7 Bologna 5–1 Napoli Bologna
R. Baggio   48' (pen.)  90'  90 + 5' (pen.)
K. Andersson   55, 90 + 3'
Goretti   14' Stadium: Renato Dall'Ara
09 November 1997 8 Napoli 1–2 Juventus Napoli
Bellucci   55' Zidane   38'
Fonseca   88'
Stadium: San Paolo
23 November 1997 9 Lecce 2–0 Napoli Lecco
M. Rossi   50'
Palmieri   61'
30 November 1997 10 Napoli 1–1 Fiorentina Napoli
Turrini   34'   28' Firicano Stadium: San Paolo
07 December 1997 11 Piacenza 1–0 Napoli Piacenza
Rastelli   87'
14 December 1997 12 Napoli 0–4 Parma Napoli
Blomqvist   18'
D. Baggio   53'
Crespo   65, 73'
Stadium: San Paolo
21 December 1997 13 Sampdoria 6–3 Napoli Genova
Boghossian   35'
Montella   42' (pen.)  61'  90' (pen.)
Klinsmann   73'
Laigle   76'
Bellucci   15'
Protti   70'
Rossitto   78'
Stadium: Luigi Ferraris
04 January 1998 14 Napoli 1–2 Milan Napoli
Bellucci   75' Ganz   52'
Leonardo   71'
Stadium: San Paolo
11 January 1998 15 Udinese 1–1 Napoli Udine
Crasson   90 + 2' (o.g.) Bellucci   27'
18 January 1998 16 Napoli 0–3 Brescia Napoli
Pirlo   13'
Koźmiński   53'
Diana   90 + 3'
Stadium: San Paolo
25 January 1998 17 Bari 2–0 Napoli Bari
Marcolini   74'
Sala   90 + 3'
01 February 1998 18 Napoli 0–0 Lazio Napoli
Stadium: San Paolo
08 February 1998 19 Empoli 5–0 Napoli Empoli
C. Esposito   24'
Cappellini   37'
Pane   50'
Florijančič   70, 75'
11 February 1998 20 Napoli 2–0 Vicenza Napoli
Turrini   43' (pen.)
Stojak   47'
Stadium: San Paolo
15 February 1998 21 Atalanta 1–0 Napoli Atalanta
Lucarelli   16'
22 February 1998 22 Napoli 0–2 Roma Napoli
Totti   54'
Di Biagio   62'
Stadium: San Paolo
28 February 1998 23 Internazionale 2–0 Napoli Milano
Zamorano   63'
Ronaldo   73' (pen.)
Stadium: Giuseppe Meazza
08 March 1998 24 Napoli 0–0 Bologna Napoli
Stadium: San Paolo
14 March 1998 25 Juventus 2–2 Napoli Torino
Del Piero   46'
Zalayeta   75'
Turrini   69'
Protti   90 + 2'
Stadium: delle Alpi
22 March 1998 26 Napoli 2–4 Lecce Napoli
Protti   35' (pen.)
Altomare   73'
Casale   2'
Palmieri   29'
Ayala   75' (o.g.)
Atelkin   90 + 3'
Stadium: San Paolo
29 March 1998 27 Fiorentina 4–0 Napoli Firenze
Batistuta   40, 67'
Robbiati   80'
Edmundo   86'
Stadium: Artemio Franchi
05 April 1998 28 Napoli 1–2 Piacenza Napoli
Bellucci   51' Scienza   34'
Dionigi   84' (pen.)
Stadium: San Paolo
11 April 1998 29 Parma 3–1 Napoli Parma
Crespo   3, 86'
Apolloni   76'
Bellucci   69' Stadium: Il Tardini
19 April 1998 30 Napoli 0–2 Sampdoria Napoli
Crasson   33' (o.g.)
Laigle   87'
Stadium: San Paolo
26 April 1998 31 Milan 0–0 Napoli Milano
Stadium: San Siro
03 May 1998 32 Napoli 1–3 Udinese Napoli
Turrini   12' (pen.) Poggi   4'
Bierhoff   45, 87'
Stadium: San Paolo
10 May 1998 33 Brescia 2–1 Napoli Brescia
Adani   57'
Neri   81'
Bellucci   56'
16 May 1998 34 Napoli 2–2 Bari Napoli
Bellucci   13'
Stojak   48'
Guerrero   6'
Volpi   37'
Stadium: San Paolo

Statistics

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Players statistics

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No. Pos Nat Player Total 1997-98 Serie A
Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK   ITA Giuseppe Taglialatela 28 -55 27+1 -55
6 DF   ARG Roberto Ayala 28 0 28 0
15 DF   ITA Francesco Baldini 30 0 30 0
22 DF   BEL Bertrand Crasson 22 0 19+3 0
14 MF   ITA Luca Altomare 24 2 16+8 2
8 MF   ITA Raffaele Longo 29 0 24+5 0
7 MF   ITA Francesco Turrini 27 5 26+1 5
18 MF   ITA Roberto Goretti 26 1 25+1 1
4 MF   ITA Fabio Rossitto 28 1 28 1
9 FW   ITA Claudio Bellucci 27 10 27 10
10 FW   ITA Igor Protti 27 4 24+3 4
12 GK   ITA Raffaele Di Fusco 7 -19 5+2 -19
5 DF   ITA Mauro Facci 17 0 17 0
3 DF   ITA Raffaele Sergio 12 0 11+1 0
16 DF   ITA Luigi Malafronte 10 0 9+1 0
30 MF   CRO Aljoša Asanović 15 0 8+7 0
31 FW   YUG Damir Stojak 13 2 8+5 2
13 DF   ITA Luigi Panarelli 17 0 6+11 0
19 MF   ITA Gennaro Scarlato 19 0 6+13 0
28 MF   ITA Massimiliano Allegri 7 0 6+1 0
25 MF   FRA Reynald Pedros 3 0 1+2 0
23 GK   ITA Ferdinando Coppola 1 -2 1 -2
29 FW   ITA Salvatore Bruno 3 0 1+2 0
17 MF   ITA Angelo Cimadomo 2 0 0+2 0
33 DF   ITA Guglielmo Stendardo 1 0 0+1 0
32 DF   ITA Emanuele Troise 0 0 0 0
Players transferred out during the season
24 DF   ITA Mirko Conte 9 0 8+1 0
27 MF   ITA Giuseppe Giannini 4 0 4 0
26 MF   ITA Marco Zamboni 4 0 3+1 0
11 FW   ARG José Luis Calderón 6 0 2+4 0
2 DF   FRA William Prunier 3 0 2+1 0
20 MF   ITA Massimiliano Esposito 4 0 1+3 0
21 DF   ITA Alessandro Sbrizzo 2 0 0+2 0

References

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  1. ^ Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005 "Norme organizzative interne della F.I.G.C. - Art. 51.6" (PDF) (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.

Sources

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