A legendary jersey returns to prominence, but not as expected. Napoli delivers excitement off the field, while the future is filled with faces and numbers ready to make their mark
Napoli, torna la numero 10: ecco a chi è stata assegnata – serieanews.com
The Scudetto kicked off the party, but after the party it’s time to think about next season. And never before this year has Napoli returned to dreaming big. Credit is due to the market rumors that have come out in recent days, the ones that make fans and insiders raise their antennae.
There is an electric air in the city, a mixture of excitement and anticipation, as if everyone knows something big is about to happen. There is one name that has been bouncing around for days and has made many people’s hearts flutter: Kevin De Bruyne. A heavy name, the kind that when they arrive they shift balances and change perspectives.
President De Laurentiis’ words left no room for doubt: the deal is closing. The player is ready, there is talk of a villa already purchased and logistical details to be arranged. All that is missing now is a signature. And at that point it will be official: Napoli will be a serious candidate to get back in the running for the titles that matter.
The curious thing is that while everyone is talking about the market and reinforcements, the team has just experienced a moment away from the spotlight, but one of enormous significance.
Un regalo inatteso: la maglia numero 10 a Papa Leone XIV
In the last few hours, in fact, there has been a peculiar meeting. Not a camp meeting, not a press conference, not a media event. A more intimate moment, more charged with symbols. The Azzurri players, together with staff and management, visited the new Pope, Leo XIV.
Un regalo inatteso: la maglia numero 10 a Papa Leone XIV (AnsaFoto) – serieanews.com
A gesture that goes beyond religion, it touches the sense of community, of identity. The Pontiff welcomed the delegation, spoke with them about the value of the team, the responsibility of representing an entire city, the weight and beauty of playing for something greater. A moment of reflection, but also of celebration. Because Naples, in turn, brought a special gift.
A blue jersey, with the number 10 printed on it and the signatures of all the players.
Those who know Naples know what the number 10 means. It is the number of Diego Armando Maradona, the eternal symbol, the star player, the legend who made a city and a people fall in love. A number that has never been assigned again, because certain legends cannot be touched. But this time, symbolically, that 10 has taken a different path.
The gift to the Pope, after all, is also a way of saying that that number lives on, even off the field. A special number for a special figure. And in the meantime, as Naples celebrates such a significant moment, there is another number preparing to take center stage again.
Il numero 17, tra passato e futuro
The number 17, in Naples, has a meaning all its own. It was the number of Marek Hamsik, the historic captain, the man of battles and records, who just these days is preparing to officially say goodbye to playing soccer. A number that evokes leadership, class, loyalty. And which, coincidentally, is also the favorite number of the big market coup that is coming.
Il numero 17, tra passato e futuro: da Hamsik a KDB (AnsaFoto) – serieanews.com
Yes, because if everything goes as planned, Napoli will have a new 17 on the field. Kevin De Bruyne, in fact, has always had this number, and everything suggests that he will get it in Naples as well. A player capable of shifting the balance, of igniting the imagination, of bringing new life to a team that wants to dream again.
In the end, between symbols, numbers and heartfelt choices, Napoli is building a story that goes far beyond titles. A story of pride, identity and ambition. And this summer, everyone knows, will not be just another summer.
This article Napoli, number 10 returns: here’s who it’s assigned to appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
