Napoli a club founded in the Southern region of Italy in 1926, has been home to some of the phenomenon footballers we’ve ever seen wearing the club’s jersey.
At the mention of Naples what comes to mind as a football enthusiast is Napoli has been one of the best soccer teams in Serie A since the club was founded.
Over the years, some of the most brilliant and technically gifted stars have turned out in the famous blue kits of the club, but the question to likely pop up in your head is who are Napoli‘s greatest players?
There are certain footballers who transcend the beautiful game of soccer with the ways they elevate and impact the game in a manner that makes them become iconic figures to whom aspiring soccer players look up.
As such, these players you’re to read about on CheapGoals are those that transcend the beautiful game of soccer.
- 1. Diego Maradona – (Argentina, 1984-1991)
- 2. Attila Sallustro – (Argentina, 1926-1937)
- 3. Marek Hamsik – (Slovakia, 2007-2019)
- 4. Antonio Juliano – (Italy)
- 5. Dries Mertens – (Belgium)
- 6. Guiseppe Bruscolotti – (Italy)
- 7. Lorenzo Insigne – (Italy)
- 8. Ciro Ferrara – (Italy)
- 9. Antonio De Oliveira Filho – (Brazil)
- 10. Edinson Cavani – (Uruguay)
- 11. Moreno Ferrario – (Italy)
- 12. Dino Zoff – (Italy)
- 13. Fernando De Napoli – (Italy)
- 14. Christian Maggio – (Italy)
- 15. Jose Altafini – (Brazil)
- 16. Antonio Vojak – (Italy)
- 17. Ezequiel Lavezzi – (Argentina)
- 18. Salvatore Bagni – (Italy)
- 19. Giovanni Francini – (Italy)
- 20. Gonzalo Higuain – (Argentina)
1. Diego Maradona – (Argentina, 1984-1991)
- Total Games: 181
- Goal: 81
The name ‘Diego Armando Maradona’ was a name that transcended the beautiful game of soccer considering how human beings exalt and pressed him for his mesmerizing talent.
Maradona’s impact and influence on Napoli went beyond the silverware, he literally gave the Neapolitans a sense of pride and respect in Italian football when he took an average team to the pinnacle of success.
For those who saw him grace the Calcio and perhaps those who didn’t but read about him, they’ll both tell you that Maradona’s reputation was built in a city filled with art and culture.
Where malevolence and darkness are always in the peripheral view according to “Thesefootballtimes“.
If you referred to Maradona as the ‘god’ of Naples, you’ll probably not be questioned because of his exploit at the club between 1984 and 1991 scoring over 115 goals.
2. Attila Sallustro – (Argentina, 1926-1937)
- Total Games: 258
- Goal: 107
Sallustro was a talented player who used his talent to build a reputable name for himself amidst the fans of Napoli.
His name was so famous that he became synonymous with Napoli’s success during the 1930s, having established himself as one of the deadliest footballers of his generation.
As a phenomenon player with incredible skill, imposing creativity, and ability to read the game perfectly he became a fan favorite at the then San Paolo with his unmatched talent.
Before his career was cut short prematurely by the outbreak of World War II, Sallustro played 258 games and scored 107 goals for Napoli and till now he is still regarded as a legend.
3. Marek Hamsik – (Slovakia, 2007-2019)
- Total Games: 520
- Goal: 121
If there is one man whose talent and craft on the ball transcend the Slovakian national team, it’s the Napoli legendary midfielder ‘Marek Hamsik.
As an unknown player who was still trying to make a name for himself in football, Hamsik joined Napoli from Brescia in 2007 for a bargain of €5.5m and later went on to become one of the greatest players in the history of the club.
Hamsik Napoli’s records as the club’s second-highest goal-scorer with 121 goals as well as record appearances with 521 games certainly makes him a legend of the club.
4. Antonio Juliano – (Italy)
- Total Games: 500
- Goal: 38
For a player who is well renowned among the Neapolitans fans for his neat and tidy passes, Antonio Juliano stands as a legend at Napoli.
Juliano literally dominated the Partenopei’s midfield for a decade where he notched up a total of 505 appearances with his defence-splitting passes.
In the ’60s when Napoli was in trouble you can rest assured that II Capitano at the time would always conjure his magic from the midfield to rescue the club.
5. Dries Mertens – (Belgium)
- Total Games: 397
- Goal: 148
Not having Napoli’s all-time goal-scorer in Serie A will definitely be a slap on the face of Mertens considering his impact and influence at the club.
Mertens may not revered as a god with the way and manner the Neapolitans fans revered Maradona, but he’s certainly a beloved figure in the hearts and minds of those who watched him litter Serie A with goals.
The diminutive forward’s incredible skill, pace, trickery, and technical ability made him one of the most feared strikers in the history of Napoli having scored 122 goals in over 300 appearances for the Partenopei.
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6. Guiseppe Bruscolotti – (Italy)
- Total Games: 507
- Goal: 10
Amidst the abundant talents Serie A was blessed with in the ’70s down to the 80s, it must be said that Napoli’s success owed much to the efforts of a formidable team that included Bruscolotti et al.
The legendary full-back was a tenacious, creative, imposing, and powerful defender who played his heart out at Napoli in the 1986-87 season.
As a captain of the title-winning Napoli team, Bruscolotti played for the Partenopei from 1972 to 1988, winning the Scudetto and two Coppa Italia trophies to ink his name in the history of the club.
7. Lorenzo Insigne – (Italy)
- Total Games: 337
- Goal: 96
Insigne is admittedly a Napoli’s great with an innate sense of goal-scoring prowess, trickery, nimbleness, and technicality on the ball that set him apart from his contemporaries.
The Italian made his debut for the Partenopei in 2010 and quickly became a fan favorite with his exceptional and consistent performances on the field.
Before he left Napoli he won two Coppa Italia in 2013 where he finished as the top-scorer in the tournament and in the 2019-20 season.
Insigne scored 107 goals in 397 appearances for Napoli, a feat that instantly ranked him among the best in the history of the club since it was founded.
8. Ciro Ferrara – (Italy)
- Total Games: 319
- Goal: 15
Ciro Ferrara is regarded as one of the greatest central defenders of his generation, playing as a starter in his position consistently for a decade.
He donned Napoli’s jersey gallantly as a powerful and tenacious defender, renowned among the fans for his composure, technicality, defensive deftness, and eye to repel the danger.
As a Napoli great he won two Serie A titles, one UEFA Cup title, and one Coppa Italia trophy before he left to pitch his tent with Juventus.
9. Antonio De Oliveira Filho – (Brazil)
- Total Games: 221
- Goal: 96
Antonio De Oliveira Filho also known as ‘Careca’ is a Brazilian footballer who also inked his name in the history of Serie A at Napoli.
Careca’s uncanny knack for goals and being in the right place at the right time to support the attack and also score goals was well renowned among the fans throughout his active years at the club.
At Napoli Maradona was the light drawing the defenders into danger with his carefully crafted passes and trickery, while Careca was the killer that drives home the goals.
You can’t mention names of great footballers who donned the blue kits of the Neapolitans and not talk about Careca’s uncanny impact at the club.
10. Edinson Cavani – (Uruguay)
- Total Games: 138
- Goal: 104
Despite not winning the Scudetto or Champions League for Napoli, ‘El Matador’ remains one of the finest goal-scoring strikers in his generation to wear the Napoli jersey.
Not many can surpass Cavani’s legacy in Naples for his instant impact and influence when he joined from Palermo on a season long-loan in 2010 scoring 26 goals in 35 games for the Partenopei.
It was a known fact that Cavani was discovered by the Sicilian club, but it was at Napoli that the lanky forward became one of Europe’s most fearsome goal-poachers before he left for Paris Saint-Germain.
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11. Moreno Ferrario – (Italy)
- Total Games: 311
- Goal: 8
Ferrario was a fantastic and reliable defender who left an indelible mark on Napoli’s rich footballing history from 1977 to 1988.
He was brought to Napoli in the summer of 1977 and went on to spend 11 years with the Partenopei, playing mostly as a sweeper with an outstanding record of 396 games.
Aside from the fact that Ferrario’s record was marked by incredible performances at Napoli, it must be said that he also won the Scudetto and a Coppa Italia with the club in 1987.
At the mention of every great player that donned the jersey of Napoli, there’s no way the legendary defender’s name won’t pop up considering his influence and impact at the club before he left for Roma.
12. Dino Zoff – (Italy)
- Total Games: 143
- Goal: 0
Before Buffon, Toldo, and other phenomenon Italian goalkeepers came to the limelight, the benchmark for elite Italian goalkeeping had long been set by the legendary Dino Zoff.
Zoff was an amazing goalie blessed with an unshakable calmness and impeccable reflexes that often stand him out on the pitch either for the Azzurri’s or Neapolitans.
The legendary goalkeeper joined Napoli from Mantova in 1967 and went on to make 143 Serie A appearances for the club in an era where it was very hard to come by a short-stopper as good as Zoff.
13. Fernando De Napoli – (Italy)
- Total Games: 176
- Goal: 8
Fernando De Napoli was a Napoli legend whose remarkable skill, tenacity, technicality, and ability to read the game made him a fan favorite during the club’s golden era.
The midfielder arrived in Naples in 1986 and donned the club’s jersey for six years racking up 241 appearances.
De Napoli was a key cog in Napoli’s golden generation team that won four major trophies in four seasons between 1986 and 1990.
He remains a beloved figure in the hearts and minds of Napoli fans who saw him alongside the late Diego Armando Maradona drag the club to the echelon of European football in the 80s down to the 90s.
14. Christian Maggio – (Italy)
- Total Games: 233
- Goal: 20
Napoli’s tales won’t be complete without mentioning a dynamic and hard-working offensive full-back whose talent transcends the four walls of San Paolo.
As a cult hero or perhaps legend, Maggio won two Coppa Italia trophies and the Supercoppa Italiana before he left for Benevento in 2018.
Maggio’s versatility and tactical astuteness made him one of the finest full-backs to ever don the Partenopei and Azzurri jerseys during his active years.
At Napoli, he racked up over 233 appearances and also scored 23 goals playing as a full-back, wing-back, and sometimes as center-back.
15. Jose Altafini – (Brazil)
- Total Games: 224
- Goal: 89
Also known as Mazzola was a renowned name among the Neapolitans fans in the 60s.
Mazzola, as he was often referred to by the fans left an indelible mark on Napoli’s rich footballing history with his pure talent which transcend the four walls of the then San Paolo stadium.
His time at Napoli was littered with his incredible goal-scoring record which saw him net 89 goals in 224 appearances for the Partenopei.
If you want a player you can rely on in difficult times on the pitch, Altafini is your go-to man because of his knowledge of the game, pace, agility and technical ability on the ball.
16. Antonio Vojak – (Italy)
- Total Games: 190
- Goal: 102
The name Antonio Vojak was a name that echoed through the then San Paolo stadium and beyond from 1929 to 1935.
Vojak’s career initially started with S.S Lazio during the 1924-25 season, but his short stint at Lazio led him to Juventus as a youngster who was ready to ruffle feathers with the big boys in Serie A.
After leaving Juventus he went on to become a fan favorite and legend at Napoli scoring over 100 goals in 196 appearances.
17. Ezequiel Lavezzi – (Argentina)
- Total Games: 156
- Goal: 38
Napoli’s heralded generation of players including the trio of Lavezzi, Cavani, and Hamsik indeed tormented Serie A’s defense with their respective talents.
The Argentine didn’t only establish himself as one of Europe’s hottest stars in Serie A while at Napoli, he upped the ante by further showcasing his ruthlessness and trickery in the Champions League throughout his stint at the then San Paolo stadium against the big clubs.
Lavezzi helped Napoli to just one piece of silverware during his time at the club and also racked up over 156 appearances for the Partenopei before he left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2016.
18. Salvatore Bagni – (Italy)
- Total Games: 129
- Goal: 12
Correggio-born, Salvatore Bagni was a brilliant central midfielder who left an indelible mark on Napoli’s history throughout his stint with the Partenopei.
At Napoli, Bagni often partnered with his partner in destruction ‘Fernando De Napoli’ in the midfield, dictating the pace and tempo of the game with his technique and knowledge of the game.
The legendary midfielder is still well-revered at Napoli as one of the club’s greatest midfielders of all time.
Putting into consideration his hard work, tenacity, techniques on the ball, ability to deal with dangers, and leadership skills on the field.
19. Giovanni Francini – (Italy)
- Total Games: 184
- Goal: 10
If you’re wondering why Francini is so revered by the Napoli fans as one of the best in the history of the club, perhaps you should check out some of his stats or clips to have a grasp of how good he was as a defender.
Francini joined Napoli from Torino in 1987 and went on to form a solid understanding with the team that led to the club winning four major trophies in Europe.
Throughout his seven years stay at Napoli he racked up over 184 appearances and won a Serie A title, Supercoppa Italiana, and a UEFA Cup.
You can’t talk about Napoli’s golden generation team and ignore how instrumental Giovanni Francini was for the team defensively and leadership-wise.
20. Gonzalo Higuain – (Argentina)
- Total Games: 104
- Goal: 71
Hate or like him, Gonzalo Higuain became Napoli’s cult hero or perhaps a legend after he became the first footballer since 1929 to score 36 goals in a single Serie A season to enshrine his name in the annals of the Calcio history.
The Argentine forward was signed by Napoli from Real Madrid in 2013 for €39m, and in the 2015-16 campaign, he scored a record 36 goals to win the ‘Capocannoniere’ title and equalling Rino Rossetti’s 87-year-old record for goals in Serie A.
During Higuain’s stint with Napoli, he couldn’t win the Scudetto for the Partenopei, but he did win a Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana and painted the league with goals a feat that makes him a beloved figure in the hearts and minds of the Neapolitans.
Honorable Mention
Gianfranco Zola
Ottavio Bugatti
Luciano Castellini
Ruud Krol
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