How Garbutt took a three-year-old Napoli to two third-place finishes

Between 1932 and 1934 a club barely born finished third twice and qualified for the Coppa Mitropa. More than 90 years on, Allegri has been asked for fourth and the side is ninth.

by Rosaria CimminoFriday 23 October, 15:14 CET· 3 hours ago

1929-35, il Napoli di Garbutt: due terzi posti e la Coppa Mitropa — Grafica Arena Napoli

Napoli were three years old when Garbutt took over as coach in 1929. By the time he left in 1935 the club had finished third twice and earned a place in the Coppa Mitropa (the European club competition of the day).

A club only just born

The Associazione Calcio Napoli was founded on 25 August 1926 on the initiative of president Giorgio Ascarelli. It took over from Internaples, which had grown out of Naples and Internazionale Napoli. The name had been made Italian only recently, because the Fascist regime was hostile to foreign words.

Two third places

The club's history singles out two seasons from Garbutt's spell. Napoli finished third in 1932-33 and third again in 1933-34. Those finishes brought qualification for the Coppa Mitropa.

That team also gave the supporters their first idol, Sallustro. Before Sívori, before Altafini, before Maradona, his was the first name the city learned to love.

After Garbutt

The club changed after Garbutt too. Achille Lauro arrived in 1936. The years that followed brought relegation in 1941-42 and, in 1948, another relegation for wrongdoing, remembered as the Caso Napoli (the Napoli Affair).

Fourth place returned in 1952-53 and 1957-58. Second place came in 1967-68, with Zoff, Juliano, Sívori and Altafini in the side.

A different yardstick

More than 90 years later, the measure has changed. Napoli now have four scudetti (league titles) and a UEFA Cup in the cabinet, and the board has asked Allegri for fourth place.

After seven rounds Napoli are ninth on 10 points, nine behind the leaders. Roma, third on 17, come to the Maradona on Saturday 24 October at 18:00 CET (17:00 UK, 12:00 ET). It is the second test to which the board has tied the coach's position.

Back then, third place was worth the Coppa Mitropa and a place in the city's memory. Now fourth is the minimum asked of whoever sits on the bench, and the team is five places short of it.