1997–98 SSC Napoli season

Last updated
Napoli
1997–98 season
President Corrado Ferlaino
Manager Bortolo Mutti
(until 6 October 1997)
Carlo Mazzone
(until 24 November 1997)
Giovanni Galeone
(until 9 February 1998)
Vincenzo Montefusco
Stadium San Paolo
Serie A 18th (in 1998-99 Serie B)
Coppa Italia Last 16
Top goalscorer Claudio Bellucci (10)
  1996–97
1998–99  

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 A.C. Milan.

Contents

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

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
GK Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Giuseppe Taglialatela
GK Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Raffaele Di Fusco
GK Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Ferdinando Coppola
DF Flag of Argentina.svg  ARG Roberto Ayala
DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Francesco Baldini
DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Luigi Malafronte
DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Mauro Facci
DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Bertrand Crasson
DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Raffaele Sergio
DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Luigi Panarelli
DF Flag of France.svg  FRA William Prunier
DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Guglielmo Stendardo
DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Mirko Taccola
DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Mirko Conte
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Marco Zamboni
No.Pos.NationPlayer
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Raffaele Longo
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Francesco Turrini
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Roberto Goretti
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Massimiliano Esposito
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Giuseppe Giannini
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Fabio Rossitto
MF Flag of France.svg  FRA Reynald Pedros
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Gennaro Scarlato
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Massimiliano Allegri
MF Flag of Croatia.svg  CRO Aljoša Asanović
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Angelo Cimadomo
MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Luca Altomare
FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Claudio Bellucci
FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Igor Protti
FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Gennaro Scarlato
FW Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  YUG Damir Stojak
FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Salvatore Bruno
FW Flag of Argentina.svg  ARG José Luis Calderón

Transfers

Competitions

Serie A

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
14 Vicenza 34991636612536
15 Brescia (R)34981745631835Relegation to Serie B
16 Atalanta (R)347111625482332
17 Lecce (R)34682032724026
18 Napoli (R)34282425765114
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

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

31 August 19971 Lazio 2–0 Napoli Roma
Mancini Soccerball shade.svg68'
Pancaro Soccerball shade.svg76'
Stadium: Olimpico
14 September 19972 Napoli 2–1 Empoli Napoli
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg33'
Protti Soccerball shade.svg48'
C. Esposito Soccerball shade.svg77'Stadium: San Paolo
21 September 19973 Vicenza 1–1 Napoli Vicenza
Di Napoli Soccerball shade.svg17' Turrini Soccerball shade.svg18'
28 September 19974 Napoli 0–1 Atalanta Napoli
Caccia Soccerball shade.svg50'Stadium: San Paolo
05 October 1997 5 Roma 6–2 Napoli Roma
Candela Soccerball shade.svg16'
Gautieri Soccerball shade.svg34'
Balbo Soccerball shade.svg51, 60, 89'
Di Francesco Soccerball shade.svg53'
Altomare Soccerball shade.svg71'
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg87' (pen.)
Stadium: Olimpico
18 October 19976 Napoli 0–2 Inter Napoli
Galante Soccerball shade.svg10'
Turrini Soccerball shade.svg69' (o.g.)
Stadium: San Paolo
02 November 19977 Bologna 5–1 Napoli Bologna
R. Baggio Soccerball shade.svg48' (pen.)Soccerball shade.svg90'Soccerball shade.svg90 + 5' (pen.)
K. Andersson Soccerball shade.svg55, 90 + 3'
Goretti Soccerball shade.svg14'Stadium: Renato Dall'Ara
09 November 1997 8 Napoli 1–2 Juventus Napoli
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg55' Zidane Soccerball shade.svg38'
Fonseca Soccerball shade.svg88'
Stadium: San Paolo
23 November 19979 Lecce 2–0 Napoli Lecco
M. Rossi Soccerball shade.svg50'
Palmieri Soccerball shade.svg61'
30 November 199710 Napoli 1–1 Fiorentina Napoli
Turrini Soccerball shade.svg34'Soccerball shade.svg28' Firicano Stadium: San Paolo
07 December 199711 Piacenza 1–0 Napoli Piacenza
Rastelli Soccerball shade.svg87'
14 December 199712 Napoli 0–4 Parma Napoli
Blomqvist Soccerball shade.svg18'
D. Baggio Soccerball shade.svg53'
Crespo Soccerball shade.svg65, 73'
Stadium: San Paolo
21 December 199713 Sampdoria 6–3 Napoli Genova
Boghossian Soccerball shade.svg35'
Montella Soccerball shade.svg42' (pen.)Soccerball shade.svg61'Soccerball shade.svg90' (pen.)
Klinsmann Soccerball shade.svg73'
Laigle Soccerball shade.svg76'
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg15'
Protti Soccerball shade.svg70'
Rossitto Soccerball shade.svg78'
Stadium: Luigi Ferraris
04 January 199814 Napoli 1–2 Milan Napoli
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg75' Ganz Soccerball shade.svg52'
Leonardo Soccerball shade.svg71'
Stadium: San Paolo
11 January 199815 Udinese 1–1 Napoli Udine
Crasson Soccerball shade.svg90 + 2' (o.g.) Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg27'
18 January 199816 Napoli 0–3 Brescia Napoli
Pirlo Soccerball shade.svg13'
Koźmiński Soccerball shade.svg53'
Diana Soccerball shade.svg90 + 3'
Stadium: San Paolo
25 January 199817 Bari 2–0 Napoli Bari
Marcolini Soccerball shade.svg74'
Sala Soccerball shade.svg90 + 3'
01 February 199818 Napoli 0–0 Lazio Napoli
Stadium: San Paolo
08 February 199819 Empoli 5–0 Napoli Empoli
C. Esposito Soccerball shade.svg24'
Cappellini Soccerball shade.svg37'
Pane Soccerball shade.svg50'
Florijančič Soccerball shade.svg70, 75'
11 February 199820 Napoli 2–0 Vicenza Napoli
Turrini Soccerball shade.svg43' (pen.)
Stojak Soccerball shade.svg47'
Stadium: San Paolo
15 February 199821 Atalanta 1–0 Napoli Atalanta
Lucarelli Soccerball shade.svg16'
22 February 1998 22 Napoli 0–2 Roma Napoli
Totti Soccerball shade.svg54'
Di Biagio Soccerball shade.svg62'
Stadium: San Paolo
28 February 199823 Inter 2–0 Napoli Milano
Zamorano Soccerball shade.svg63'
Ronaldo Soccerball shade.svg73' (pen.)
Stadium: Giuseppe Meazza
08 March 199824 Napoli 0–0 Bologna Napoli
Stadium: San Paolo
14 March 1998 25 Juventus 2–2 Napoli Torino
Del Piero Soccerball shade.svg46'
Zalayeta Soccerball shade.svg75'
Turrini Soccerball shade.svg69'
Protti Soccerball shade.svg90 + 2'
Stadium: delle Alpi
22 March 199826 Napoli 2–4 Lecce Napoli
Protti Soccerball shade.svg35' (pen.)
Altomare Soccerball shade.svg73'
Casale Soccerball shade.svg2'
Palmieri Soccerball shade.svg29'
Ayala Soccerball shade.svg75' (o.g.)
Atelkin Soccerball shade.svg90 + 3'
Stadium: San Paolo
29 March 199827 Fiorentina 4–0 Napoli Firenze
Batistuta Soccerball shade.svg40, 67'
Robbiati Soccerball shade.svg80'
Edmundo Soccerball shade.svg86'
Stadium: Artemio Franchi
05 April 199828 Napoli 1–2 Piacenza Napoli
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg51' Scienza Soccerball shade.svg34'
Dionigi Soccerball shade.svg84' (pen.)
Stadium: San Paolo
11 April 199829 Parma 3–1 Napoli Parma
Crespo Soccerball shade.svg3, 86'
Apolloni Soccerball shade.svg76'
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg69'Stadium: Il Tardini
19 April 199830 Napoli 0–2 Sampdoria Napoli
Crasson Soccerball shade.svg33' (o.g.)
Laigle Soccerball shade.svg87'
Stadium: San Paolo
26 April 199831 Milan 0–0 Napoli Milano
Stadium: San Siro
03 May 199832 Napoli 1–3 Udinese Napoli
Turrini Soccerball shade.svg12' (pen.) Poggi Soccerball shade.svg4'
Bierhoff Soccerball shade.svg45, 87'
Stadium: San Paolo
10 May 199833 Brescia 2–1 Napoli Brescia
Adani Soccerball shade.svg57'
Neri Soccerball shade.svg81'
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg56'
16 May 199834 Napoli 2–2 Bari Napoli
Bellucci Soccerball shade.svg13'
Stojak Soccerball shade.svg48'
Guerrero Soccerball shade.svg6'
Volpi Soccerball shade.svg37'
Stadium: San Paolo

Statistics

Players statistics

No.PosNatPlayerTotal 1997-98 Serie A
AppsGoalsAppsGoals
1 GK Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Giuseppe Taglialatela 28-5527+1-55
6 DF Flag of Argentina.svg  ARG Roberto Ayala 280280
15 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Francesco Baldini 300300
22 DF Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  BEL Bertrand Crasson 22019+30
14 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Luca Altomare 24216+82
8 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Raffaele Longo 29024+50
7 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Francesco Turrini 27526+15
18 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Roberto Goretti 26125+11
4 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Fabio Rossitto 281281
9 FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Claudio Bellucci 27102710
10 FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Igor Protti 27424+34
12 GK Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Raffaele Di Fusco 7-195+2-19
5 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Mauro Facci 170170
3 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Raffaele Sergio 12011+10
16 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Luigi Malafronte 1009+10
30 MF Flag of Croatia.svg  CRO Aljoša Asanović 1508+70
31 FW Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  YUG Damir Stojak 1328+52
13 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Luigi Panarelli 1706+110
19 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Gennaro Scarlato 1906+130
28 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Massimiliano Allegri 706+10
25 MF Flag of France.svg  FRA Reynald Pedros 301+20
23 GK Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Ferdinando Coppola 1-21-2
29 FW Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Salvatore Bruno 301+20
17 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Angelo Cimadomo 200+20
33 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Guglielmo Stendardo 100+10
32 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Emanuele Troise 0000
Players transferred out during the season
24 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Mirko Conte 908+10
27 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Giuseppe Giannini 4040
26 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Marco Zamboni 403+10
11 FW Flag of Argentina.svg  ARG José Luis Calderón 602+40
2 DF Flag of France.svg  FRA William Prunier 302+10
20 MF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Massimiliano Esposito 401+30
21 DF Flag of Italy.svg  ITA Alessandro Sbrizzo 200+20

Related Research Articles

The 2000–01 Serie A was the 99th season of top-tier Italian football, the 69th in a round-robin tournament. It was contested by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive season since 1988–89.

The 1997–98 Serie A saw Juventus win their 25th national title, with Internazionale placing second; both teams qualified for the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. Udinese, Roma, Fiorentina, Parma qualified for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. Lazio qualified for the UEFA Cup Winners Cup courtesy of winning the Coppa Italia. Bologna and Sampdoria qualified for the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Brescia, Atalanta, Lecce and Napoli were relegated to Serie B.

During the 1997–98 Italian football season, Società Sportiva Lazio competed in the Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup.

Associazione Calcio Milan had a poor season in 2000–01, finishing 6th in Serie A with 49 points, and only the scoring touch of Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko saved them from complete humiliation.

During the 2000–01 season Fiorentina competed in Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup.

Associazione Calcio Fiorentina enjoyed its best season in the 1990s on the pitch, but was left wondering what might have been. Leading the domestic Serie A championship a long way into the season, Fiorentina's title charge fell to pieces, as it lost unnecessary points while eventual champions Milan and runners-up Lazio continued winning their matches. In the end, Fiorentina salvaged third place in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in 1999–2000.

The 1998–99 U.C. Sampdoria season ended with the club's relegation to Serie B just eight years after winning the Serie A title in 1990–91. Similarly to Napoli the year prior, the club was no longer a financial power when it came to signing players, while its high-profile signing, Ariel Ortega, did not deliver to the degree Sampdoria had hoped for.

In the 1997–98 season, the Italian football club Inter Milan, managed by Luigi Simoni, won the UEFA Cup and achieved second place in the Serie A league.

AC Milan had a second consecutive disastrous season. Fabio Capello returned as coach, following the dismal second half of the 1996–97 league campaign, but failed to turn the corner, and Milan was a shadow of the team he had left the year before. With Capello's reputation seemingly ruined, he was sacked at the end of the season, with Milan finishing a mere 10th in the league.

Juventus Football Club had one of its most successful seasons in the club's history, winning the domestic league competition and reaching the final of the Champions League. There, Juventus stumbled on Real Madrid by Predrag Mijatović' solitary goal, which ensured Juventus lost the final for the second year running. The progress to the final had been much less smooth than in the 1995–96 and 1996–97 European campaigns, prompting fears among supporters that the side was experiencing a decline. Indeed, on their way to the final in Amsterdam, the Italians had lost three games compared to none the previous season. They had needed to win their matchday six fixture against Manchester United to reach the quarter-final, where Dynamo Kyiv held them to a 1–1 draw in Turin in the first leg.

Udinese Calcio sensationally finished third in Serie A, much due to Oliver Bierhoff being in the form of his life, scoring 27 goals in a league season consisting of just 34 matches. Bierhoff, coach Alberto Zaccheroni and winger Thomas Helveg all left for Milan at the end of the season, ensuring Udinese had much work to do to maintain its level.

Associazione Sportiva Roma was reinvigorated under new coach Zdeněk Zeman, who recently had been coaching arch rivals Lazio. Zeman brought his attacking 4–3–3 with him, resulting in Roma scoring 67 goals, but also conceding 42, an extreme rarity in defensive-minded Italian football. Roma finished fourth, three places above Lazio in the table. That was the first time it had happened in five years, which delighted the Roma board, and Zeman stayed on for a further season. The season also saw the international breakthrough of former youth-team product Francesco Totti, who at 21 was ready for increased responsibility and captaincy, responding with 13 league goals from a position on the left-wing of the attack. Also noticeable was new signing Cafu's offensive skills as a right-wing back, granting him a reputation among the world's top wing backs.

During the 1997-98 season Bologna F.C. competed in Serie A and Coppa Italia.

Associazione Calcio Fiorentina came off second best in a competitive battle for fourth in Serie A. Under Alberto Malesani's leadership, Fiorentina played an attacking 3–5–2 formation, where goal scoring duo Gabriel Batistuta and Luís Oliveira scored an accumulated 36 goals between them. Following the end of the season, Malesani accepted an offer from Parma, thus departing the club after only one season in charge. Sensationally, Giovanni Trapattoni became his successor, remarking that Fiorentina was serious about winning the league.

During the 1997–98 season, the club's eighth in Serie A, Parma Associazione Calcio competed in Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the UEFA Champions League.

Unione Calcio Sampdoria finished ninth in Serie A, despite the absence of club stalwart Roberto Mancini, who had followed coach Sven-Göran Eriksson to Lazio. Former Argentine World Cup-winning coach César Luis Menotti took charge, but failed to match the results of Eriksson, and was replaced by the 1991 championship winning coach Vujadin Boškov, who guided the team to a safe mid-table slot.

Piacenza Calcio recorded their best ever finish in the top echelon of Italian football, finishing 12th in Serie A, but just two points above the relegation zone. This was in spite of key players Pasquale Luiso (Vicenza) and Eusebio Di Francesco (Roma) leaving the club before the season began.

During the 2001–02 Italian football season, Brescia Calcio competed in the Serie A.

During the 1997-98 season Vicenza competed in Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

During the 2000–01 season Brescia Calcio competed in Serie A and Coppa Italia.

References

  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