Napoli – Dries Mertens, for the fans simply “Ciruzzo”, is about to officially become honorary citizen of Naples.
Article Key Points
The Belgian striker, who has won the hearts of the Neapolitan people for years, will receive the award on 6nd June in the suggestive setting of the Hall of the Barons of the Maschio Angioino.
A three year long wait
The awarding of honorary citizenship had already been decided three years ago by the mayor's administration Gaetano Manfredi, but due to commitments and bureaucratic delays the event was postponed several times.
Some had speculated that Napoli would Aurelio De Laurentiis, after Mertens' turbulent farewell, did not look favorably on the initiative. Now, however, with the striker ready to retire from professional football at the end of the season with the Galatasaray, the moment has finally arrived.
The announcement of the official date came thanks to the efforts of the city councilors, in particular Salvatore Flocco, who underlined the importance of the event: "The whole city is expecting it. Mertens's story with Napoli is a beautiful one". Even the leader of the PD group Gennaro Acampora he reiterated the value of the gesture: «Having bought a house and named his son “Ciro” demonstrates an extraordinary sense of belonging».
The party for Naples
After the official ceremony, Mertens is said to be organizing a private party in Posillipo, with the intention of involving the city that adopted him. His wife takes care of every detail of the event Cat, who with his son Ciro represents the Mertens family's unbreakable bond with Naples.
With 113 goals in the blue shirt, Dries Mertens is the best scorer in the history of Napoli, even surpassing Marek Hamsik. But his connection with the city goes far beyond the playing field: from charitable acts to pizzas donated to the homeless, he has always shown affection and generosity towards Naples and its inhabitants.
Il 6nd June It will be a special day for all the Azzurri fans, a tribute to a champion who, as he himself loves to repeat, «even though I was born in Belgium and now live in Türkiye, I feel Neapolitan».
Article published on March 20, 2025 - 07pm
It's very important that Mertens receives honorary citizenship, I think it's a nice gesture for the city and for the fans. However, I wonder if this event could have been done earlier, given that he gave so much to Napoli.