Anima Azzurra banner in Naples turns on fair-weather Napoli

Anima Azzurra banner in Naples turns on fair-weather Napoli fans

Supporters' group hangs its message on the Ponte della Sanità on the eve of the Lazio game. The fanbase is still divided.

by Gennaro SanninoSaturday 7 November, 13:22 CET· 1 hour ago

Lo stadio Diego Armando Maradona di Napoli

Lo stadio Diego Armando Maradona — Foto: Pochos at Italian Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

A banner signed by the supporters' group Anima Azzurra has appeared on the Ponte della Sanità, a bridge in Naples. It reads: "You only love us when we win, you scum. We fall too, but always all together." Its target is anyone who turns their back on Napoli as soon as the table stops looking kind.

Lanzetta added: "The real fans show themselves now, prove you love the shirt now. From the abyss we rise and fall all together." He also paid tribute to the "more than two thousand fans" who travelled to Portugal.

The banner went up a day before Napoli play Lazio at the Maradona on Sunday 8 November, kick-off 12:30 CET (11:30 UK, 06:30 ET). Napoli are eighth on 14 points. Lazio are top on 28. The last two results were 2-0 in Turin and 4-1 in Porto.

"Dal baratro si sale e scende tutti insieme"

One thing needs saying, though. Holding the team, Allegri and the club to account is not the same as loving Napoli only when they win. Those at the Dragão watched the second-half collapse and came home with the same questions as those who stayed in Naples. On Sunday the pitch has to answer them, not a banner.