Napoli's title champagne put on ice after Salernitana clash postponement

Serie A Napoli's title champagne put on ice after Salernitana clash postponement

Mark Kinyanjui 16:30 - 28.04.2023

The Naples-based side were due to host the Campania derby this Saturday.

Napoli’s potential title decider against Salernitana which was due to take place on Saturday has been postponed to Sunday at short notice.

The runaway Serie A leaders could seal their third Scudetto in record fashion this weekend if they beat Salernitana and second-placed Lazio drop points at Inter Milan.

Napoli were due to host the Campania Derby this Saturday, with Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio playing a day later, but both games will instead kick off at 4:00 PM EAT on Sunday, April 30.

The decision was made official by Serie A on Friday, just over 24 hours before the Napoli-Salernitana game had been scheduled to kick off.

Napoli’s away match against Udinese has subsequently been moved from Tuesday, May 2 to Thursday, May 4. Udinese’s home game against Sampdoria has also been pushed back from Sunday, May 7 to Monday, May 8.

Luciano Spalletti’s side have a 17-point lead heading into the weekend’s fixtures and could become the first-ever team to win the league title with six matches remaining.

Spalletti has cautioned his players against any complacency, despite them closing in on a first triumph since Diego Maradona led the team to two championships in 1987 and 1990.

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