De Laurentiis: ‘We’ve brought millions of children back to supporting Napoli’
NAPLES, ITALY - JULY 14: Aurelio De Laurentiis SSC Napoli president as Massimiliano Allegri is unveiled as the new SSC Napoli head coach at Teatro di San Carlo on July 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Aurelio De Laurentiis says Napoli have won back “millions of children” from rival clubs after the Partenopei received CONI’s highest honour.
According to the Corriere dello Sport, the club were awarded the Collare d’Oro al Merito Sportivo at a ceremony at the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Centre in Rome on Monday morning, with the president collecting it in person.
The award recognises more than two decades of growth under De Laurentiis, who took over in 2004 after the club’s bankruptcy and rebuilt it from Serie C. Napoli have since won two Scudetti, in 2023 and 2025, and become regulars in European competition.
De Laurentiis on Napoli centenary film
Napoli celebrated their centenary this year, and De Laurentiis, a film producer by trade, revealed he is working on a film to mark the milestone.
“I’m making a film, and we’re in post-production, about 100 years of passion. In Naples, anything is possible. In the 18th century, Naples was the queen of Europe. Now I see that, fortunately, things are changing. I believe we’ve all worked to climb back up.”
He also reflected on what the honour means for the next generation of supporters.
“This is an award for a club that has kept going for 100 years, and it must be a symbol for our children who, when I arrived in Naples, were more attached to other teams. We’ve brought millions of children back to supporting Napoli and the Azzurri colours, which are, incidentally, the same as the sea, the sky and our national team.”
The ceremony comes after a slow start to the season under Massimiliano Allegri, whom De Laurentiis also defended on Monday, while talks over Scott McTominay’s contract continue.
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