Napoli News and Analysis

Ranking the 10 best right backs in men’s football right now in 2023

1Jul

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Champions League, Features

Ranking the 10 best right backs in men’s football right now in 2023

The right back position may be one of the most overlooked in world football, but just ask clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and, most recently, Napoli what having an elite right-sided defender can do for a team. An elite right back can rule an entire flank with composed defending, quality passing in the build-up, supportive runs for the attackers, and game-changing assists via their crossing. So in honor of the right back and many of the unsung heroes who ply their trade at this position, let's take a closer look at the best players in the world who man the right side of the formation. 10. Malo Gusto Malo Gusto joins Christopher Nkunku as another top young talent headed to Chelsea this summer. The 20-year-old will not be the starter in every match, as the Blues alre...

Ranking the 10 best forwards in men’s football right now in 2023

29Jun

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features

Ranking the 10 best forwards in men’s football right now in 2023

No players are more coveted in world football than the forwards who score the goals, take the defense on, and create the chances that win matches. Every elite club needs an elite forward - and really two - in order to compete at the highest level and truly be an elite team at the Champions League level. So let's take a look at the 10 best forwards in the game, focusing on strikers and wingers whose primary job is to score the goals and create the assists that win their teams' matches. Many of these players are strikers and inverted wingers, because those are the positions that make the biggest difference on the score line in the modern game. 10. Christopher Nkunku Christopher Nkunku will head to Chelsea for the 2023/24 season after being the best Bundesliga player over the last three ...

Ranking the 10 best Serie A goalkeepers right now in 2023

26Jun

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Serie A

Ranking the 10 best Serie A goalkeepers right now in 2023

From Dida to Gianluigi Buffon, Serie A has given the world some of the finest goalkeepers of the modern era. And one of the most acclaimed goalkeepers in Europe today, Gianluigi Donnarumma, has his roots in the Italian top flight as a prodigy and young leader for Milan. Who are the best Serie A goalkeepers currently? Let's take a look at 10 players who have distinguished themselves in recent seasons and rank them from fifth to first. Let's see if any of the names surprise you! All stats are courtesy of FBRef.com, which is the best site for readily-available goalkeeper data. 10. Juan Musso, Atalanta Formerly of Udinese, Juan Musso has continued as one of the league's better goalkeepers since joining Atalanta, one of the top clubs in Serie A. Musso is in the prime of his car...

Final 2022/23 Serie A Team of the Season

5Jun

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Serie A

Final 2022/23 Serie A Team of the Season

Although Verona and Spezia still have one last match to decide who stays and who goes, the 2022/23 Serie A season officially concluded on Sunday with Roma sealing a Europa League spot over Juventus - thanks to the superstar they signed from the Bianconeri for free, Paulo Dybala. La Joya undoubtedly has a place in the final 2022/23 Serie A Team of the Season, which is unsurprisingly dominated by Napoli stars. But there may be some picks that surprise you in this all-star XI. GK Ivan Provedel, Lazio: Alex Meret also had a fantastic season in goal for the Partenopei. At the same time, the likes of Wladimiro Falcone were excellent for sides that survived a relegation threat. Yet Ivan Provedel has to be recognized as the best goalkeeper in Serie A. For years, he helped Spezia stay afloat,...

Examining how Napoli captured hearts and built a Serie A champion

5May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Serie A

Examining how Napoli captured hearts and built a Serie A champion

After drawing 1-1 against Udinese, Napoli sealed the 2022/23 Serie A title, becoming champions of Italy for the first time since 1989/1990. Notably, the last time they won the Scudetto, they did so with Diego Armando Maradona as their superstar player. After his recent passing, their iconic home stadium took his name in his honor, and, thus, it seems only fitting that Napoli are back on top. The scenes of celebration after Napoli's title triumph, which has come after years of close calls and collapses (including one last season), are a reminder that there is, perhaps, no more beautiful footballing city than this one. Naples lives and breathes "Calcio", a working-class city that seems to bring the most romantic feelings of football, even in this cold commercialized era of the sport. A...

Ranking the 10 best wingers in world football for 2023

21Apr

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Champions League, Features

Ranking the 10 best wingers in world football for 2023

Some of the most important players in world football are wingers. They are entrusted with creating chances, scoring goals, stretching the pitch horizontally, testing defenses with vertical runs, easing pressure off strikers, manufacturing space for teammates, progressing the ball as dribblers, and completing take-ons to destabilize the defense. The best wingers in world football are capable of changing games on their own while also being a consistent thorn in the side of the defense. Let's rank the 10 best wingers in the world right now in 2023. 10. Manchester City RW Riyad Mahrez Riyad Mahrez has cooled off a bit, and there are a number of quality wingers at Manchester City. Yet Mahrez's technical class and accomplishments over the years mean that he must be considered one of t...

Ranking the 10 best defensive midfielders in the world in 2023

7Apr

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features

Ranking the 10 best defensive midfielders in the world in 2023

As teams look to get more tactical and reinforce their defensive structure, maintain possession, and consistently progress play with quick decisions in set patterns of play, the defensive midfield position is becoming an increasingly coveted and demanded position in modern football. Look no further than the fees Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernández and Real Madrid spent to sign Aurélien Tchouaméni, who shows up on this list. Who joins him? Where does he rank? Here are the 10 best defensive midfielders in the world right now. 10. Aleix García, Girona Aleix García has been one of the sensations of the 2022/23 season, and he isn't the only breakout star who finds himself on this list of the best defensive midfielders in the world. The Girona leader's numbers have to be seen to be bel...

Ranking the 10 best center backs in the world for 2023

18Mar

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Champions League, Features

Ranking the 10 best center backs in the world for 2023

The center back position is one of the most difficult to evaluate in football, because much of what makes the best center backs so effective is what they do off the ball. Paolo Maldini was famous for being able to shut strikers out of the match without even having to make a tackle, famously remarking that this was a sign of a great defender. Yet at the same time, the best center backs in world football need to show they are capable of making decisive interventions when called upon. And there are even other central defenders who have the responsibility of pushing higher up the pitch to win the ball, particularly for possession-based, pressing teams like Bayern München. So here are the 10 best center backs in football today, ranked based on a combination of current play in the 2...

Ranking the 5 best managers in Serie A for 2023

28Jan

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Serie A

Ranking the 5 best managers in Serie A for 2023

Many of the most acclaimed managers in world football have made their names in Serie A. From Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid to current Tottenham manager Antonio Conte (formerly of Chelsea), there are plenty of former Serie A managers who have found success abroad. There are even those who excelled in Serie A, left for successful stints elsewhere, and are back in Calcio as elite managers, Maurizio Sarri and the incomparable José Mourinho come to mind here. But who are the current best managers in Serie A? Where do the likes of Sarri and Mourinho stack up among the top managers in the league in 2023? Before I continue, though, I would like to give an honorable mention to Simone Inzaghi. He has done great things for Inter Milan and was an absolute star while in charge of Lazio. But h...

25Jan

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Serie A

The 5 most underrated Serie A players

Serie A continues to grow and get more credit for being an incredibly entertaining and unpredictable league, shedding the stereotype that it is highly defensive in the process. But while players like Rafael Leão and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are getting major mainstream plaudits, there are so many wonderful players in Serie A who remain underrated. That includes players at top clubs like Napoli, the current league leaders. Here are five of the most underrated players in the Italian top flight. They are not the only undervalued players, but they stand out for being top-quality footballers who receive precious little recognition from the average fan of European football. Monza CB Armando Izzo Monza center back Armando Izzo has long been one of the most productive defenders in the Italian...