‘Oriental Naples’ Kim Min-jae from Tongyeong, Maradona junior?
Input 2022.07.24 (14:48)
yunhap news
SSC Napoli, an Italian professional football team that has become very influential as the next destination for Kim Min-jae (26, Fenerbahce), the ‘monster defender’ of the Korean national football team, is a club that has experienced many ups and downs.
It is now considered one of the top four teams in Serie A along with Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan, but experienced a lot of dark times in the early and mid-2000s, such as falling to Serie C (third division).
Founded in 1926, Naples has been moving between the first and second divisions for decades. Southern Italy, where Naples is located, has a lower income level than the industrially developed north.
Napoli, who used to be a ‘just such a team’, became a strong team with the signing of ‘football god’ Diego Maradona in the mid-1980s.
Maradona, who wore Napoli’s light blue jersey in 1984, gave the club all the trophies.
Thanks to his performances, Napoli won Serie A for the first time in the club’s history in the 1986-1987 season, and also won the 1989-1990 season.
In the 1988-1989 season, he also lifted the UEFA Cup.
The history of Naples cannot be described without the name of Maradona.
After Maradona passed away in 2020, the club officially changed the name of the home stadium to ‘Diego Armando Maradona Stadium’.
In 1991, Maradona was caught using drugs and eventually left the team, and Napoli returned to ‘the way it was’.
In 2004, due to financial difficulties, it went bankrupt and went down to Serie C.
Renowned Italian filmmaker Aurelio delaurentis took over Naples as the club’s second hero.
Delaurentis, who promised to bring Napoli to Serie A within five years, made it a reality in three years.
Under the leadership of Chairman Delaurentis, Napoli succeeded in recruiting ‘excellent midfielder’ Marek Hamsik and goalkeeper Edinson Cavani, etc.
Under Delaurentis, Napoli won the Coppa Italia three times (2011-2012, 2013-2014 and 2019-2020 seasons) and once in the Supercoppa (2013-2014 season).
Although he did not win the regular league, he continued to rank high and participated in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) and the Europa League.
According to local reports, Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti as well as Delaurentis Chairman Delaurentis are said to be actively seeking the signing of Kim Min-jae.
According to Fabrizio Romano, a soccer reporter specializing in the European transfer market, Chairman Delaurentis said, “I hope the contract process with Kim Min-jae ends soon.”
He also expressed his anticipation, saying, “Kim Min-jae and Naples can completely fill each other’s shortcomings.”
On the other hand, Kim Min-jae has a small relationship with Naples ‘from birth’.
Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, the hometown of Kim Min-jae, is nicknamed ‘Oriental Naples’.
It means that the scenery of Tongyeong Port is as beautiful as Naples, which is counted as one of the ‘World’s 3 Most Beautiful Ports’.
[사진 출처 : 연합뉴스]