Napoli – “Well deserved. Forget about luck! This championship is the result of hard work, sacrifice and heart.” Marisa Laurito cannot hold back her enthusiasm for the fourth tricolor won by Napoli.
Actress, presenter and always a passionate fan, Laurito has experienced as a protagonist all the historical stages of the Neapolitan club, starting from that 10th May 1987, when she was on the sidelines while Diego Armando Maradona made an entire city dream.
This time, however, for the decisive match against Cagliari, Laurito chose superstition: no stadium, but a domestic and ritual viewing. “We watched the game at Rocco Barocco’s house, always the same group of friends, all sitting in the usual positions, in absolute silence. And it worked,” he says smiling.
The celebration came first for the goal by Scott McTominay, the Scottish midfielder nicknamed “McFratm” by the fans – brother in Neapolitan dialect – and then for the doubling of Lukaku, who swept away all anxiety. “McFratm was the revelation of the season: 12 goals and 4 assists, numbers worthy of a striker. In the second part of the championship he was decisive”.
And if the field had its protagonist, off the field there is a name that, according to Laurito, made the difference: Antonio Conte. "He is a coach who does not go on the field to participate, but to win. He transformed the team, he knew how to make it 'dance' and believe in it until the end".
During the day of the match, a curious anecdote: "At the hotel I met the referee and the linesmen of Napoli-Cagliari. I couldn't resist and wished them good luck. A small gesture, but full of positive tension."
Her passion for football, she confesses, began when she was a child, thanks to her father who was a fan. “At first I didn’t understand much, Napoli was often shaky. Then, growing up and thanks to great friends like Luciano De Crescenzo, I started to follow it more and more, to the point of organizing unforgettable evenings in Rome during the matches”.
A lifelong love that has led her to experience four championships, each with different emotions. “The first was pure amazement, we had done it. The one in '90 was a rematch. And today? It is a success built with skill, planning and resilience. We suffered until the last day, but we did it”.
As for the social significance of Napoli's successes, Laurito has no doubts: "In the past they were a redemption for a city in difficulty. Now, Naples has become fashionable, but the spirit has not changed: we remain superstitious and prudent until the last second".
A thought also for rival Inter: "It's not our luck, if anything it was Inter who wasted the opportunity. But it's right to recognize that we beat a very strong team".
Marisa Laurito is also starring at the Teatro San Carlo these days, where she plays Duchess Krakenthorp in Donizetti's opera La fille du régiment, conducted by Damiano Michieletto. “It's an extraordinary experience. Opera can still be popular, if done with passion and innovation. I owe a lot to Gino Landi, who introduced me to the genre years ago with The Merry Widow in Verona. From there, a new artistic path was born”.
Between the stage and the passion for the Azzurri, Laurito remains the lady of the show and of Neapolitan fans: ironic, enthusiastic and deeply tied to her city.
Article published on May 24, 2025 - 15:04 pm
