Napoli ends 33-year wait for Serie A title, sparking wild celebrations

Napoli has ended their 33-year wait for the Serie A title after a 1-1 draw with Udinese, joining the club's late icon, Diego Maradona, in the history books. 

Victor Osimhen's second-half goal sealed the deal for Napoli and marked his 22nd goal in 28 league appearances this season. The team's lead over second-placed Lazio stands at 16 points with five matches still to play. 

Napoli supporters celebrated in Udine, at the Stadio Maradona in Naples, and all around the city. However, some moments of tension occurred when supporters streamed onto the pitch to celebrate, creating tension with the home fans.

Napoli's skipper, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, claimed that the title belonged to every player and the people who worked to make their dream come true. Coach Luciano Spalletti became emotional when speaking to DAZN, saying, "Seeing Neapolitans happy is enough to give you a sense of that joy they are feeling." 

The Napoli squad will receive an emotional welcome when they return to Naples.

Osimhen's performance this season has been a crucial part of Napoli's historic charge to glory. The Nigeria striker has had the best season of his career, and his title-deciding strike rightly caused bedlam among the away fans. 

Napoli struggled to create scoring opportunities in the first half and were stunned in the 13th minute when Sandi Lovric opened the scoring for Udinese. However, Osimhen's 52nd-minute strike brought relief to the Napoli supporters, who were confident that Thursday night would be the night.

While fans had to be cleared from the pitch in Udine to avoid clashes with home supporters, the Stadio Maradona was lit up by phones held by teary-eyed Neapolitans singing along to songs by late local singer-songwriter Pino Daniele. 

Napoli's victory parade will allow their long-suffering supporters to fully unload more than a generation of frustration. Osimhen said, "It was a very emotional moment, and I'm very happy to have contributed to it." The title means a lot to Napoli, and it was fitting that Osimhen was the man to take them over the line.