Napoli win their first Scudetto in 1986-87 with Maradona in his prime

On 30 June 1984, Corrado Ferlaino, Napoli's president since 18 January 1969, signed Diego Armando Maradona from Barcelona for 15 billion lire.

It came sixty-one years after the club's foundation on 25 August 1926, and seventeen years into Ferlaino's presidency.

The title did not stay an isolated success. Two seasons later, in 1988-89, Napoli won the Coppa UEFA — still the club's only European trophy. In 1989-90, with Alberto Bigon now in charge, Napoli added a second Scudetto and, the same year, the Supercoppa Italiana, Italy's Super Cup.

Four seasons, four trophies

Across four seasons, from 1986-87 to 1989-90, Napoli won two Scudetti, a Coppa UEFA and a Supercoppa Italiana, with Maradona at the centre of Ferlaino's project. His departure from Napoli in 1991 closed that cycle, and the club has not found the same terms since.

Thirty-six years to do it again

It took thirty-six years for Napoli to win Serie A again after 1986-87: the third Scudetto arrived in 2022-23, the fourth in 2024-25. In between came the 2004 bankruptcy, the loss of the club's sporting title, and the rebuild from Serie C1, the third tier, under Aurelio De Laurentiis, who bought the title and registered the club as Napoli Soccer.

This year marks a century since Napoli's foundation on 25 August 1926. The club's history now counts four Scudetti, six Coppa Italia triumphs, three Supercoppe Italiane and one Coppa UEFA. But 1986-87, with Bianchi on the bench and Maradona on the pitch, remains the first national title — the one that opened Napoli's trophy cabinet to league honours.