Napoli

Lore & Background

The rivalry between Juventus and Napoli stems from a historical regional rivalry between Northern Italy and Southern Italy, of which the clubs' respective home cities of Turin and Naples are major metropolitan and economic centers. The rivalry started to gain more attention in the 1980s when Napoli became league contenders. Juventus won the 1985–86 Serie A title with star player Michel Platini, six points clear of third placed Napoli. In the 1986–87 Serie A, Napoli won their first scudetto with star player Diego Maradona, three points ahead of second placed Juventus. Napoli won another title in the 1989–90 Serie A. After that time, Juventus shared success with Milan in regards to scudetti as Napoli started to decline in the 1990s. In the 1997–98 Serie A, Napoli were relegated to Serie B after winning only two matches. By August 2004, Napoli was declared bankrupt. Film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis refounded Napoli under the name Napoli Soccer, and were placed in the 2004–05 Serie C1. In the 2005–06 Serie C1, they secured promotion to Serie B and De Laurentiis bought back the name Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli in May 2006. After one season back in the 2006–07 Serie B, Napoli were promoted to Serie A, along with that season's Serie B champions, Juventus, after the bianconeri had been controversially relegated at the end of the 2005–06 Serie A and had their two most recent league titles stripped because of involvement in the Calciopoli scandal. On the pitch, the rivalry intensified in the 2010s with Napoli's 2–0 win over Juventus in the 2012 Coppa Italia final, Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero's last game for Juventus. Between the 2011–12 Serie A and the 2016–17 Serie A league seasons, Juventus won each title, with Napoli finishing in at least the top five in each of the seasons. The summer before the 2016–17 season, Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuaín became the third highest football transfer of all-time and highest ever transfer for an Italian club, when he was signed by Juventus for €90 million from Napoli. Higuaín jerseys were burned in the streets of Naples. Since Higuaín joined Juventus in 2016, Napoli fans were not allowed to travel to Turin for Juventus match-ups and vice versa. That season, Juventus paid many fines and had a partial stadium ban because of the repeated chant 'Vesuvius wash them with lava'. On 22 April 2018, Napoli fans were allowe

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona hangs heavy with salt spray and electric tension. A wall of azure flags ripples like a storm-tossed sea as the first chords of 'O' Sole Mio' shake the very foundations of the stands, a defiant anthem against the white-and-black invaders. On the pitch, the stark stripes of Juventus look alien against the vibrant Neapolitan blue, a visual representation of the North-South divide made flesh. This is not merely a match for three points; it is a battle for the soul of Italian football, where every tackle echoes the deep-seated desire to dethrone the establishment and every pass carries the weight of decades of cultural friction.

Reader's Guide

Official matches include SF, QF, R16, R32, GS, R1, R2, R3. Head-to-head ranking in Serie A (1930–2026): Total – Juventus with 65 higher finishes, Napoli with 15 higher finishes (as of the end of the 2025–26 season). No head-to-heads in 14 seasons, since Napoli was in Serie B. Another one, the 2006–07 season, took place in the Serie B, with Juventus finishing first and Napoli second. Notes: The 1945–46 Italian Football Championship is not included in Serie A statistics. Due to the Calciopoli scandal, Juventus' 2004–05 Serie A title was voided. Their 2005–06 Serie A title was awarded to third-placed Inter Milan and they were relegated. Statistics as of 25 January 2026. Trophies as of 22 December 2025.

Did You Know?

• Napoli won their first scudetto in the 1986–87 Serie A with star player Diego Maradona.
• Napoli won another title in the 1989–90 Serie A.
• Gonzalo Higuaín was signed by Juventus for €90 million from Napoli in 2016.
• Napoli's 2–0 win over Juventus in the 2012 Coppa Italia final was Alessandro Del Piero's last game for Juventus.