Relegation to Serie B (2005)

Lore & Background

The club was re-founded in 2004 after bankruptcy. Napoli returned to Serie A three years later.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell heavily on the San Paolo pitch on that final afternoon, mirroring the mood of the thousands of fans who had gathered one last time. The scoreboard read 1-0 against a rival, but it was not enough; the math was cruel and unforgiving. In the stands, the usual chants were replaced by a somber silence, broken only by the distant sound of a whistle signaling the end of an era. A young fan wiped tears from his face, realizing that for the first time in living memory, Napoli would spend the next year fighting in Serie B.

Reader's Guide

Napoli's relegation to Serie B in the early 2000s was not their first; they had been relegated from Serie A before, most recently in the 2000–01 season. The club played in Serie B in 2001–02 and 2002–03 before being re-founded in 2004.

Did You Know?

• Napoli had been relegated from Serie A before, including in 1963–64 and 1997–98.
• Napoli played in Serie B in 2001–02 and 2002–03 after the 2000–01 relegation.
• The club was re-founded in 2004 by film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis.