Napoli fourth in Serie A attendances with over 45,000 a game

Napoli are fourth in Serie A's average attendance table, with more than 45,000 supporters per home game at the Maradona. Inter lead with 74,738, followed by Milan on 74,069 and Roma on more than 67,000. Juventus are fifth with 40,828.

Some will read that as a verdict on the fanbase. It is not, and anyone using it to argue that the city has gone cold on the team is measuring the wrong thing. Raw attendance depends first on capacity, and the Maradona holds 54,726. An average above 45,000 means the stadium is more than four-fifths full.

That figure comes in a season in which Napoli are tenth with 11 points after eight games, their worst start since 2009-10. It says more about the supporters than about the team.

The fill rate tells a different story

Rank clubs by the share of seats filled and the picture changes. Inter are top, filling more than 99% of the Meazza. Cagliari, Juventus and Milan follow, all above 97%. Napoli are not in that group.

Juventus, fifth on raw numbers, are among the best at filling their ground: they have fewer seats and sell almost all of them. They are Napoli's opponents on Sunday 1 November, still without Allegri on the bench.

That leaves a question, and it is not about the fans. It is about the stadium. Napoli pay €850,000 a year to rent the Maradona while continuing to talk about a new 70,000-seat ground at San Giovanni a Teduccio, on the former Kuwait Petroleum site. Most of the land has been decontaminated, and a decision on it is expected by December 2026.

As long as that remains a project, every comparison with Inter, Milan and Roma starts from a different number of seats. Results alone will not close that gap. It needs a new stadium.

The rest is down to the team

The pitch has to do the rest, and that is where supporters are entitled to demand more. Those filling the Maradona this October have seen a 3-3 draw with Roma, in which Napoli threw away a two-goal lead before Balerdi equalised in the 89th minute. Before that came a 1-2 defeat to Como.

This crowd has not tired yet. But its loyalty is not a blank cheque for a side that has conceded 17 goals in 11 games this season.

The next test is away from home. Napoli play Monza at the U-Power Stadium on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 15:45 ET), with Landucci on the bench and without Badiashile and Spinazzola.

Juventus come next, then Lazio, the league leaders, visit the Maradona on Sunday 8 November. The crowd will be counted that day too, but the points matter more.