Napoli and Rafael Benitez - A romance that could last

Lorenzo Insigne (R) of SSC Napoli celebrates with his teammate Marek Hamsik after scoring his team’s second goal during the Uefa Champions League Group F match between Napoli and Borussia Dortmund at Stadio San Paolo on September 18, 2013 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

But of particular interest is the core of the team that has seen Napoli fight for Champions League football in recent seasons. In vice-captain Marek Hamšík they have a truly world class talent, one who has resisted overtures from more favoured destinations (most prominently Manchester City) to grow to be the creative fulcrum in a fluent Napoli line-up.

Valon Behrami, another prodigy who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations during previous spells at Lazio and West Ham United (most prominently), is slowly but surely finding his feet in his second season in Naples; at the age when footballers typically step into the prime of their careers.

Captain Paolo Cannavaro and wing back Cristian Maggio provide a much needed Italian flavour to the defensive line, while Gökhan ?nler is another name who has come into his own at Napoli. It is also where veteran Goran Pandev struts his stuff these days; with hometown hero Lorenzo Insigne completing an already glittering attack.

The hold that the youngster has on the fans is only to be expected. An immensely exciting prospect who is truly one of their own, the prodigy’s instantaneous success brings tears to the eyes of a proud Naples that wears its heart on its sleeve.

The one bright spark in the drab England U-21 vs Italy U-21 match-up earlier in the summer, Insigne provided the match-winner on that occasion, as he did in this week’s hugely anticipated Champions League encounter against last year’s finalists Borussia Dortmund.

In a match that will unfortunately be remembered best for Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp’s attempt to transform into The Hulk down on the touchline (how the match official at the receiving end did not pee in his pants, I really do not know), Insigne’s unstoppable free kick turned out to be the difference between the two sides when all was said and done.

Fun fact – reserve goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak, who came on after Roman Weidenfeller was sent off (not a good day for Dortmund, yeah), ended up chipping two front teeth on the goalpost in a vain attempt to get to Insigne’s perfect strike.

On a more poignant note, I have a curious theory as to why the Neapolitans have so readily accepted Rafa’s reign, and it is one that cannot be explained by the cold, hard truths of the transfer market. They sense in the Spaniard a soul much like their own; one that is searching for lost glory in a time of rapidly changing ethos and priorities.

Napoli is a melting pot of the modern and the ancient, and through it all the city retains its spirit of romance and honour. At the helm is a man who has largely been relegated to the role of a stop-gap solution in recent years, a man capable of greatness and mediocrity in equal measure; much like Naples itself. Benitez will want to find a home, a citadel where his mercurial talents are given the appreciation that he so craves. And in the sentimental Neapolitans, he may just have found his calling.