Napoli ended their 33-year wait for a third Serie A title on Thursday evening as they were officially crowned champions of Italy.
Luciano Spalletti' s side headed to Udinese needing just a point to finally fight off Lazio after the draw with Salernitana at the weekend. It looked as though they were in line for another delay as Sandi Lavric gave Udinese the lead with only 13 minutes on the clock with a brilliant strike.
Nigerian hitman Victor Osimhen struck a priceless second-half equaliser for his 28th goal of the season. Napoli tried for the winner but only a point was required.
The full-time whistle triggered wild celebrations in the away end at the Dacia Arena. Sky Blue flags were held aloft, with one in particular donning the face of Diego Maradona catching the eye.
As supporters rushed the pitch, the mastermind of Napoli's eye-catching title tilt Spalletti departed down the tunnel in tears. The Napoli squad continued to be surrounded by fans - some of whom claimed sections of the pitch as souvenirs.
Players celebrated in earnest with their supporters, with some even receiving what would be more priceless souvenirs of shirts. Piotr Zielinski was pictured in a huddle with fans without his shorts, boots and socks.
Do you think Napoli can retain the Serie A title next season? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Fans attempted to take the Polish midfielder's shirt but he seemed desperate to hold on as he rushed back into the dressing room alongside a number of his teammates. Title-winner Osimhen was among those as he tied a scarf around his head.
The striker took to Instagram with a live stream of the dressing room celebrations and shared images of his teammates, whilst he repeated the word "champions" over and over as he aimed to come to terms with what he and his teammates had achieved. Mexican wideman Hirving Lozano also did the same. Players danced on a table within their dressing room, some clutching a bottle of champagne.
Whilst celebrations continued in Udine, an even bigger party was going on across Italy in Naples. Fans had packed out the club's home stadium - the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona - to tune into the clash.
After Osimhen's opener, the stadium launched itself into pandemonium. Supporters toasted the striker's goal by deafeningly chanting his name. The final whistle was also greeted with huge noise.
Flares and smoke bombs were lit across the arena, with fans breaking into song to toast their title success. A huge array of flags coloured the air sky blue.
Maradona was invariably at the heart of a selection of the banners, whilst there were also countless Scudetto badges emblazoned with the number 3 to signify Napoli's now three Serie A title successes. Players unfortunately were not able to join in with the celebrations but they will no doubt see the pictures across social media as they prepare to fly back on Friday.
After Napoli were officially crowned as champions, fireworks lit up the sky across the city and were accompanied by a chorus of car horns with fans also taking to the streets to celebrate.
The historic city had of course been ready for this for some time. Even weeks before their extraordinary title success was rubber-stamped, the streets had slowly but surely become a shade of white and blue.
Bunting, banners and murals of the late, great Maradona had become a trademark feature of the Neopolitan decore over recent months. Whether they remain in situ following a night of wild celebrations remains to be seen.
There was even time for former captain Dries Mertens to join in with the festivities. The Belgian had travelled over to Naples with a video on social media showing him donning the shirt of his former side and joining in with a sing-song.
Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis also laid down his ambitions to keep Napoli challenging for honours. Speaking to DAZN, he said: “Luciano Spalletti will stay here. Our project will not stop here — it’s just the beginning. We want to win again, and again, and again. And then there’s the Champions League!”
