Napoli finish Serie A season 10th with goalless draw against Lecce
Napoli ended their season in a humiliating 10th place, missing out on all European competition after a dismal 0-0 draw with Lecce.
The Partenopei needed a win at the Stadio Maradona, and hope for Torino to slip up for a chance at ninth place, which might have secured Conference League qualification if Fiorentina defeat Olympiacos.
However, key players Mario Rui, Piotr Zielinski, and Leander Dendoncker were unavailable, with star striker Victor Osimhen only fit for the bench.
Lecce, already safe from relegation, had the first real chance of the match on nine minutes when Patrick Dorgu’s angled drive clipped the base of the far post, leaving Alex Meret helpless.
Napoli end 2023/24 campaign woefully with draw against Lecce – Getty image
Napoli’s Kvicha Kvaratskhelia had several attempts that either went off target or blocked, while Giovanni Simeone fired over the bar.
Lecce continued to pose a threat on the counter, with a deflected shot from Berisha going just wide and Valentin Gendrey bravely blocking a powerful shot from Kvaratskhelia with his head.
Cyril Ngonge came on for Lecce at the restart and immediately forced a fingertip save from Wladimiro Falcone.
The Lecce goalkeeper remained vigilant, denying Kvaratskhelia again, and later watched as Jens Cajuste’s deflected shot hit the inside of the far post but stayed out.
Napoli had a few more opportunities, with Giacomo Raspadori blasting over from a difficult angle and Federico Baschirotto clearing a Matias Olivera effort off the line.
The goalless draw marked the end of a dismal campaign for the Naples club, and a total contrast from their last season outing, when they won the Scudetto for the first time in over 30 years.
