Napoli have finally been crowned Serie A champions after securing a 1-1 draw with Udinese on Thursday evening.
They came from behind to secure a draw in Udine, with emotional celebrations breaking out across Italy in Naples. It is the first time Napoli have won the league since the legendary Diego Maradona starred for them in the 1990 and 1987 campaigns.
They have come close to lifting the title on several occasions in recent years, twice under Maurizio Sarri and once under Carlo Ancelotti. However, they have finally managed to get over the line under Luciano Spalletti this season, having enjoyed an outstanding campaign that has seen them drop just 19 points all season.
Closest rivals Lazio are a whopping 16 points behind them in second, while Juventus moved up to third earlier this month after their 15-point deduction over transfer dealings was quashed.
This late boost was never going to be enough for them to catch Napoli, though, who have well and truly run away with the title this season. They were denied the opportunity to make history by becoming the first team to ever win the league with six games to spare after Salernitana nicked a late 1-1 draw on Sunday.
However, it only delayed the inevitable as Napoli clinched the title when after they came from behind to draw with mid-table Udinese on Thursday. Spalletti's side only needed to avoid defeat away from home to be crowned champions.
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Things got off to the worst possible start after Sandi Lavric gave Udinese the lead with only 13 minutes on the clock with a brilliant strike. Napoli looked to be getting more and more frustrated before Victor Osimhen struck a priceless equaliser - his 27th goal of what has been a stunning season.
The Nigerian hitman had the ball in the net once more but saw his strike ruled out for a foul earlier in the move. Napoli were not quite able to find a winning goal but that mattered not to Napoli and their supporters. The final whistle triggered wild celebrations both in Udine, in Naples and at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona supporters packing out their home stadium in anticipation of winning the league.
Reflecting on his team's impressive campaign, Spalletti said: "If you love something or someone, the only thing you can dedicate to them is time, that shows how much you love them, and I have dedicated it all to them. With the team we've done our best, we've dedicated as much time as we can since I left.
"I'm not even convinced about my work if I don't devote all my time to it, it's a necessity for me in those two hours to do something else to see instead of pictures. It depends on the availability you create for your profession."
After finally being crowned champions, Napoli will no doubt celebrate long into the night and will look forward to their title procession between now and the end of the campaign. They face Fiorentina, Monza, Inter Milan, Bologna and Sampdoria over their final few fixtures.
