Napoli owner De Laurentiis says Serie A title ‘starting point’

De Laurentiis took control of Napoli in 2004 when the club was forced to restart from the third tier and since then has made Napoli consistently one of the best teams in Italy.

Aurelio De Laurentiis took over Napoli in 2004 when the club was forced to restart from the third tier.  | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis said that the team’s first Serie A title in over three decades was just the beginning for the club he took from bankruptcy to the top of the Italian game.

Film mogul De Laurentiis took control of Napoli in 2004 when the club was forced to restart from the third tier and since then has made Napoli consistently one of the best teams in Italy while keeping the club’s finances in decent shape.

“This is a starting point, not an ending,” said De Laurentiis in a packed Stadio Maradona in Naples after his club secured the Scudetto.

“We are going to go again with (coach Luciano) Spalletti. It’s a title that we have built towards over the years.”

De Laurentiis said that he is now looking for European glory to add to the triumph in Italy which came following Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Udinese.

“When I came here I said that it would take 10 years to get the team back in Europe, and I kept that promise,” added De Laurentiis.

“It’s the same thing for the Scudetto, what’s missing now is to retain the title and win the Champions League.”