Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: the immortalized son of Naples

Napoli's first Serie A title in more than three decades was won in spectacular fashion, with the Partenopei dominating their rivals all over the pitch. One player, Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, managed to grab headlines for his dazzling attacking contributions. He looks at home on a football pitch, writes Alex Connor, happily playing the game at his own pace.

Depart at Naples Piazza Cavour station and walk down Via Foria, which joins Corso Amedeo di Savoia to Via Toledo, which borders the Quartieri Spagnoli - a rugged and archaic neighborhood with an unrivaled marriage to the beautiful game In the middle of this sacred area is a fresco painted by Mario Filardi in 1990, dedicated to Diego Maradona, the demigod who led the Partenopei to two Scudettos. Naples still reveres those days. Memories of those days. Treasures these days.

It was an infinitely painful journey. The title has eluded the Partenopei since 1990, when the weekly Stadio San Paolo featured Diego's unparalleled brilliance. Since then, the stadium has been renamed to commemorate ‘El Pibe de Oro’ – the golden boy.

This city is different. Even under the blazing sun ahead of this coming season, there is a palpable, intoxicating essence of excitement. A sprawling metropolis brimming with chaotic, raw, untamed energy. Aspiring and hungry for their lost status as Italy's most elite football club.

Now the wait is finally over. Napoli returned to their pedestal in an untouchable season and barely spent a day off their perch. The club have won 27 of 36 league games and are 18 points clear at the top. Luciano Spalletti has developed a dynamic, ruthless and technically astute side, which has followed in Diego's footsteps and is destined to be immortalized in Neapolitan folklore by one of the most passionate fan bases in the world. The Argentine had recently taken things to the next level. The reincarnation of this little genius, Napoli's new masterful nucleus, came in the form of a 22-year-old Georgian, signed from Dinamo Batumi for just 10-12 million euros. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has become a revelation for Italian football.

The winger was signed last year to replace fan favorite and club captain Lorenzo Insigne. Napoli also lost Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Mertens which sent many fans into anguish, questioning club president Aurelio De Laurentiis' motivation and how he planned to build on his third-place finish last season. The brash supporters had to endure the North's domination of the league for eternity - the triumvirate of Juventus, Inter and AC Milan had all been crowned champions in the last three years, and the affairs of summer transfer did nothing to excite or inspire any title-winning dreams. The Campagnia team was seen as spiraling out of control and their grip was increasingly loosening on ultimate ambition.

However, in the shadows, the modest signing of lowly Kvaratskhelia materialized as the catalyst for the title.