S.S.C. Napoli Picks - 2018-19 UEFA Champions League Lines

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S.S.C. Napoli UEFA Champions League Odds

The only Italian club south of Rome to have had much success historically is Napoli. Napoli have carried the banner for southern Italy for long periods of time. The club has been more than just a sports team and is seen as a cultural rallying cry for Neapolitans throughout the country and the world.

It took a while for Napoli to really find its mark though. The club bounced around between Serie B and Serie A for its first thirty years before finally becoming a Serie A staple during the 1960s. It was then that Napoli won its first Italian Cup, becoming the first team south of Rome to win the competition in 1962. Napoli consistently finished in the top half of the table through the latter part of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s, and they won the Italian Cup again in 1976.

The 1980s were the highwater mark for Napoli. It was then that the club flexed its muscle and acquired Diego Maradona for a then-record price. With Maradona at the head of the attack, Napoli became one of the most feared clubs in Italy and Europe. Napoli went on to win Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990, grabbed another Italian Cup in 1987, won the Italian Supercup in 1990, and won the Europa league in 1989. To date, that has been their only win in a European tournament.

Napoli started to fall shortly after Maradona was suspended for over a year due to a failed drug test, and by the end of the 1990s, the club was in Serie B. They were forced into administration shortly afterwards and declared bankruptcy in 2004. The club was given a lifeline by president Aurelio De Laurentiis and refounded under a slightly different name, and then they began their ascent back up the rungs of Italian football.

Over the last decade, we have seen Napoli emerge as one of the top teams in Italy once more. They have finished in the top five of Serie A for eight straight seasons and have qualified for European play in each of those years. Napoli won the Italian Cup in 2012 and 2014 and won the Italian Supercup in 2014 as well.

Odds on Napoli to win the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League: +3000

S.S.C. Napoli in European Football

Napoli was favored to make it out of their Champions League group last season, but they were upended by Manchester City and Shakhtar Donetsk. Losing to Manchester City was expected, yet finishing behind Shakhtar Donetsk left a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans. The club did perform well in Serie A though, finishing in second place behind Juventus.

This summer, Napoli has brought in some big names with hopes of making it to the Quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time ever. The club still has Belgian star Dries Mertens, and they brought in Fabian Ruiz and Simone Verdi as well. Losing former manager Maurizio Sarri and star player Jorginho to Chelsea hurt, but the addition of Ruiz and Verdi will lessen the blow.

Carlo Ancelotti is the new manager, and he has plenty of experience in leading clubs to Champions League success. He has coached at the top clubs in the world for over two decades and landing him was a big victory for Napoli.

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