From failure to legend: 21 years of Aurelio De Laurentiis at Napoli | OneFootball

From September 6, 2004 to today, Napoli has radically changed: from a club on the brink of bankruptcy to two league titles in three years, under the guidance of a visionary president and with a European perspective.

From failure to legend: 21 years of Aurelio De Laurentiis at Napoli

On September 6, 2004, Aurelio De Laurentiis took over the sports title of Napoli Soccer, born from the ashes of the failed SSC Napoli. With an investment of about 30 million euros, the film producer beat out competition from entrepreneurs already accustomed to football, including Giampaolo Pozzo and Luciano Gaucci. The club started again from Serie C1, without players, uniforms or adequate facilities, but with a clear project: seriousness, sustainability, and organization.

From the outset, De Laurentiis showed his managerial imprint: "We will start from scratch and with our heads held high. The first goal is to bring joy back to San Paolo: I promise entertaining football, like my movies. Enough talk, it's time for seriousness and facts."

Transformation into a modern enterprise and global brand

In 21 years, Napoli has become a model of management and an international brand. De Laurentiis has tied the club to the territory, developing marketing strategies, innovative partnerships, and collaborations with prestigious companies. The choice to unite fashion and football, as with Armani for the uniforms, has transformed the jerseys into design symbols, making Napoli a lifestyle brand recognized beyond sports boundaries.

Competitiveness on the field and European vocation

On the playing field, Napoli has maintained competitiveness and sustainability. The policy of capital gains, from Lavezzi to Cavani to Higuain, has financed virtuous sports cycles. The promotion of young talents and the choice of international or innovative coaches (Benitez, Ancelotti, Sarri, Spalletti, Conte) have ensured continuity and identity. Two league titles in three years testify to strategic and forward-looking planning, more than chance.

De Laurentiis has always aimed to consolidate Napoli among the European elites. The projects on the new stadium and the sports center confirm the intention to combine modern infrastructure, competitiveness and sustainability, without ever losing the connection with the city.

Balance after 21 years

21 years after the start of the presidency, Napoli is a structured, modern, and ambitious reality. Not all of De Laurentiis's methods have found consensus, but the result speaks clearly: from a club on the brink of oblivion, Napoli has returned to consistently compete in Serie A and in Europe, consolidating its brand globally and transforming into an example of industrial management of football.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.