mdtalbot

Overview
SocietÃ* Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as simply Napoli or the abbreviation SSC Napoli, is an Italian professional football club based in Naples, Campania that was originally founded in 1904. The club has spent most of their history in the top tier in Italian football, where they currently play for the 2007–08 season after recently gaining promotion.

Napoli, who play in azure blue shirts with white shorts have won the Serie A twice, first in 1986–87 and then again in 1989–90. They have also won the Coppa Italia in their home country three times. On the European stage, Napoli have won the UEFA Cup, a triumph which was achieved in 1988–89. Historically, Napoli are the ninth most successful club in Italian football and the most successful in Southern Italy.

The club have had several names changes since first appearing in 1904; one of these was after a merger with another club called Internazionale Napoli. The most recent change was in 2004, when the club went bankrupt but were refounded by film-producer Aurelio De Laurentiis as Napoli Soccer; he restored the name back to SocietÃ* Sportiva Calcio Napoli in early 2006.

Information
Founded: 1926
Status: Professional
Chairman: Loves the club
Fierce Rivals: Atalanta, Verona, AC Milan, Salernitana, Avellino, Bologna, Brescia, Juventus, Inter, Roma, Udinese, Lazio, Fiorentina, Lecce
Other Rivals: Bari, Reggina, Vicenza, Cagliari, Sambenedettese, Sampdoria, Ternana, Pistoiese, Foggia

Stadium Information
Name: Stadio San Paolo
Location: Naples
Capacity: 64,000 (all-seater)
Pitch Dimensions: 110mx68m
Max. Dimensions: 119mx76m
Training Facilities: Top
Youth Facilities: Average + Academy

Competition Information
Domestic Competition: Serie A
Continental Competition: None
Media Prediction: 14th

Financial Information
Estimated Value: 54m Euro
Wage Spending: 285,162 Euro/week
Transfer Budget: Between 8m and 15.5m Euro
Wage Budget: Between 400k and 550k Euro/week

Expectations
First Season: Avoid relegation from Serie A
Three Years: Respectable position in Serie A
Coppa Italia: Reach the first round

Squad
1 GK Gennaro Iezzo
2 DF Gianluca Grava
3 DF Erminio Rullo
4 MF Francesco Montervino (captain)
5 MF Michele Pazienza
7 FW Ezequiel Lavezzi
8 MF Manuele Blasi
9 FW Roberto Sosa
11 FW Emanuele Calaiò
12 GK Biagio Del Giudice
13 DF Fabiano Santacroce
14 DF György Garics
16 DF Andrea Cupi
17 MF Marek HamÅ¡Ã*k
18 MF Mariano Bogliacino
19 DF Mirko Savini
21 DF Maurizio Domizzi
22 GK Matteo Gianello
23 MF Walter Gargano
24 MF Samuele Dalla Bona
25 FW Marcelo Zalayeta
27 MF Marco Capparella
28 DF Paolo Cannavaro (vice-captain)
30 GK Nicolas Navarro
77 MF Daniele Mannini
96 DF Matteo Contini

Comments
Napoli are a club with enormous potential due to their 64,000-seater stadium and status as the only club in the third largest city in Italy. The fact that you have a pretty decent chunk of cash to spend at the beginning doesn't hurt, either, but you'll likely find yourself spending every penny of it trying to reinforce a squad that's still Serie B quality. Lavezzi and Sosa can make for a fairly serviceable little man-big man partnership, but their supply will be limited at first due to the fact that Napoli have a very weak midfield with the exception of their excellent defensive midfielders, Hamsik in particular.

Keeping the board happy despite their initially low expectations can be tough, as Napoli have a rivalry with just about every club in the Serie A. Once you get the hang of it, though, it's rather fun being the most hated club in Italy with the possible exception of Juventus, and if you take the club far enough, you can start to see your digital self as your very own Tony Soprano, bullying your way to the top Neapolitan style.

So invest in some wide men, perhaps a decent goalkeeper, and remind those northerners who really has u' cazzu in Italy. And in the long term, of course, be sure to keep an eye out for any highly talented AMC/F's from Argentina, preferably left-footed ones...

Mike_Cardinal

Nice start to the thread mate, I really like the potential this club has on the game. The title made me chuckle a bit too, because obviously laughing fully out loud would be sad...

mdtalbot

Thanks. I always manage Napoli in every version of FM I've played and their potential in this one delights me - I'm from proud Neapolitan stock and this club's in my blood!

Sir frosinone

great thread mate also imo you should always play Rullo at lb as i bought him for my beloved Davoli and he is class and has been class since 05 in fm

Donal Manning

Good start. Started an 8.02 Napoli game last night. Definitely need attacking midfielders. Probably need another striker to partner Lavezzi. Rullo looks good and Santocroccce (sp?) looks good so two out of 4 defenders is a good start. Dommizi, Cannavaro and Contini are ok defenders and Blasi is decent with Hamsik.

mdtalbot

My quick band-aid fix (but obviously not long term solution) to the lack of decent wingers was to bring in Vaz Te on loan from Bolton and get Solari cheap (around 1.2m euro) from Inter. Thus far, they've been working out okay and leave me plenty of cash to play with.

Sir frosinone

Paolo Canavaro is actually uite good in the game.

Donal Manning

Will be using him for a season. I'll let you know. His stats are decent and he was great last time I took Napoli in FM07.

ven82

So started Napoli in with the new patch & am having lots of fun with it.Its now Jan 08 & sitting pretty in 8th place.

The team is decnt with lots of young highly rated players & some old Serie B quality players who shld be sold off.

GK
I wasn't impressed wih both the keeper's,so I sold off Iezzo & got Bogdan Lobont.He's been class so far.

Defence:
The team has some avg defenders with only Cannavaro being good & Santacroce being young & undeveloped.A good CB is needed to partner Canna here.
Garics is the only RB & he;s decent while Blasi can sometimes play in that role.While a RB shld be bought,its not that essential this season.The LB posiion is covered by Rullo & Contini can also play here,although I plan to sell him in the summer.

Midfield
The team is packed with DM's.Too many of them.I plan to sell off Montervino,who has the worst stats in the team.Was injured in the summer so couldn't sell him.Alomg with him,Pazinza can also be sold.ALthough with huge interests in Hamsik & Gargano,i might keep him.While Blasi is ok.
An attacking m/f is needed here.

Wingers
The team has no decent wingers,use the 8M€ budget to strengthen this dept.Again it depends on how u play,i play wide so i needed them.

Strikers
Lavezzi will be ur 1st choice along with Calaio.While Zalayeta is a decen back up.Sosa is of contrct in 08 & i don't intend to extend it.

Sold-Gennaro Iezzo,Mirko Savini,Andrea Cupi, Marco Capparella,Gianluca Grava &Samuele Dalla Bona-Total €3.1M€

Bought-Leandro Gioda(Ind)-€2.1M,Abdou Razak Traore & Per Sklebred (both Rosenborg)-€1.3M & 2.0M€,Augusto Fernandez(River)- €2.8M€ & Bogdon Lobont (Dinamo Buc)-1.7M€

Formation:

----------Lobont
---Garics---Gioda---Cannavaro---Rullo--
---------Hamsik---Gargano(Blasi)---
---Fernandez-----Per------Traore---
-----------Lavezzi------