NAPLES, Italy — Napoli captured their fourth Serie A title on Friday with a confident 2-0 home victory over Cagliari, as goals from Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku ignited jubilant celebrations at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and across the city.
The win, paired with Inter Milan’s 2-0 triumph at Como that left them just one point behind in the standings, officially crowned Napoli as champions of Italy for the second time in three seasons. For manager Antonio Conte, it marked a personal milestone — winning the Scudetto with a third different club, having previously led Juventus and Inter to the summit of Italian football.
McTominay opened the scoring three minutes before halftime with a spectacular bicycle kick, converting a Matteo Politano cross to send the home crowd into euphoria. Lukaku added Napoli’s second just after the break, muscling past a defender and calmly slotting past Cagliari goalkeeper Alen Sherri.
While Conte was absent from the touchline due to a suspension, his side delivered the decisive performance needed to clinch the title. “All the credit goes to the boys,” Conte said afterward. “Winning in Naples is difficult. These boys are doing it for the second time in two years. They are serious, committed, and relentless.”
Napoli’s dominance was apparent from the opening minutes. Giacomo Raspadori narrowly missed with a driven effort early on, and a looping cross nearly connected with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa for a header. Politano also tested the Cagliari keeper following a blistering counterattack, but Sherri kept the visitors in the game throughout the first half with a series of crucial saves.
Tension rippled through the stadium midway through the first half when news filtered in that Inter had taken the lead against Como, briefly muting the boisterous crowd. But McTominay’s acrobatic strike reignited the atmosphere and paved the way for an unstoppable second-half showing.
Naples mayor Gaetano Manfredi summed up the emotion of the moment in a social media post: “It is the well-deserved victory of an extraordinary team and a city that never stops dreaming, fighting, and loving.”
As fireworks burst over the Naples skyline and flares filled the night air, the city basked in the glow of its latest footballing triumph — a campaign defined by resilience, flair, and belief.
