Nigthmare eve for Sporting CP: Flight delays and fireworks disrupt Napoli trip | OneFootball

Sporting CP faced several issues on the eve of an away Champions League match at Napoli, including a problem with their aircraft and fireworks being set off outside their hotels in Naples after they arrived at night.

Sporting CP visit Napoli at the Stadio Maradona this evening, but their preparation for the game was far from ideal.

Sporting CP flight delayed on the eve of Napoli game

NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 09: General view inside the stadium during the Serie A match between Napoli and Fiorentina at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 09, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

As reported by Repubblica and other Italian media outlets, the Portuguese side encountered complications on the eve of the game on Tuesday, arriving in Naples several hours later than originally scheduled.

The team had arrived at the Lisbon airport at around 14:00 local time and boarded at 14:55.

Initially, traffic on the runway delayed Sporting CP’s flight, but then a problem with the aircraft prevented the team from leaving until the evening.

Fireworks set off outside Sporting CP hotel in Naples

FARO, PORTUGAL – JULY 31: Morten Hjulmand of Sporting CP in action during the Portuguese Super Cup match between Sporting CP and SL Benfica at Estadio Algarve on July 31, 2025 in Faro, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

The official pre-match press conference with coach Rui Borges and a Sporting CP player at the Stadio Maradona was cancelled, and the Portuguese team only took off at 20:00 CET, landing in Naples at 23:00.

Unfortunately for Sporting, that was not the end of the story, as, once they arrived at their hotel in Naples, their rest was disturbed by fireworks set off outside the hotel by a group of Napoli fans.