Napoli ultras have returned the steering wheel from Luciano Spalletti's stolen Fiat Panda as a parting gift with the manager set to leave after winning Serie A.
Why was Luciano Spalletti's car stolen?
It's been a remarkable season for the Italian club as they won their first Scudetto since 1990 – back when Diego Maradona was dazzling defenders for Gli Azzurri.
Napoli's recent success is quite remarkable when you consider that the manager had his beloved Fiat Panda stolen during protests in 2021. Not long after, the ultra's then offered him an ultimatum about returning the car if Spalletti would leave.
The manager quipped back: "First of all we have to see in what condition the Panda will be returned in, how many kilometres it has travelled, whether there are Pino Daniele CDs inside."
Well, both parties have now stuck to their promise as even the CDs have been returned to the 64-year-old Italian who is set to take a sabbatical in the summer and leave.
As shown in footage circulated on Twitter, the Napoli ultras met Spalletti inside the club's dressing room before handing him a big blue box. He unwraps the present and breaks into a big smile, having had his property returned at last.
Why is Spalletti leaving Napoli?
Spalletti took charge of Napoli in 2021 and has kept up a remarkable rate of 2.10 points per game since then, which helped deliver a first Serie A title in 33 years.
However, after securing the Scudetto, he immediately spoke about how much it had taken out of him, telling the press:
"I no longer have the energy to be up to the standard of what people love so much, so I have to take two steps back and leave.
"I am not someone who changes idea easily and I decided to leave because I feel that I've given all I had."
Despite still having one year on his contract, President Aurelio De Laurentiis was happy to acquiesce to this demand, telling Italian broadcaster Rai (via Evening Standard): “He’s a free man, now it’s right that he continues to do what he wants. I thank him.”
And so now was the perfect moment for the ultras to finally return those stolen items and allow Spalletti to depart on perfect terms.