Napoli could get the chance to clinch their first Serie A title since Diego Maradona’s playing days in front of their fans this weekend at the stadium now named after the club’s most emblematic player.

The Italian league announced on Friday that Napoli’s match against regional rivals Salernitana originally scheduled for Saturday will now be played on Sunday.

That means that if second-places Lazio do not win at Inter Milan earlier on Sunday, Napoli would seal the “Scudetto” with six rounds to spare if they win at home.

The scheduling move was made following a request by authorities in Naples inorder to maintain public safety in the city, by concentrating the initial celebrationsinside the stadium in case of the title.

Maradona led Napoli to their only Serie A trophies in 1987 and 1990 in what was previously known as the Stadio San Paolo.

The stadium was renamed for him when he died in November 2020.

One of the stars of Napoli this season has been Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. And the club is willing to listen to offers but has no intention of selling the winger this summer.

The 22-year-old Georgian has been one of the key figures in the team’s success this season, scoring 12 goals and providing 12 assists in 27 Serie A appearances. His estimated market value is around €90-100 million.

After arriving as a relatively unknown entity last summer, Kvaratskhelia has exploded onto the scene to become one of the most exciting players in Europe, attracting the attention of clubs around the continent.

He is affectionately nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’ by his fanbase as they feel his dribbling style is similar to Maradona. This is also the reason why Kvaratskhelia is called ‘The Georgian Maradona’.

Napoli enter the weekend 17 points ahead of Lazio. Also, Napoli’s next game at Udinese was moved from Tuesday to Thursday.

“I don’t like to celebrate in advance,” manager Luciano Spalletti said. “If we all do it together there will be twice as much joy.”

Message for fans

Fans have been told to steer clear of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that overlooks the southern city.

Park authorities became concerned at reports that Napoli’s fanatical fans planned to set off flares to light up Vesuvius in the Italian national colours should the team clinch the title, branding the stunt dangerous.

With inputs from AP/PTI, Reuters