Anguissa and Lukaku: ‘Napoli played for Daniele’ | OneFootball

Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa said Napoli ‘played for’ recently deceased teenage fan Daniele in their 2-0 win over Verona, while Romelu Lukaku reiterated the unity of this squad.

It was far from easy for the Partenopei, something they knew all too well having lost 3-0 to Verona in the opening game of the season.

That feels like a very long time ago, as now they are top of the Serie A table after five consecutive victories, although Inter do have two games in hand.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo had a bit of good fortune with the opener, as it bounced off the upright, hit goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò and ricocheted into the net.

Napoli wasted several huge scoring opportunities until Anguissa’s ferocious long-range strike to seal the 2-0 result.

The team wore black armbands following the death of 13-year-old supporter Daniele, who had first met the squad in 2023 and become something of a mascot during his battle with leukaemia.

His parents were on the pitch after the final whistle, receiving hugs from all the players and joining in the celebrations, just as Daniele had when well enough to attend games.

Napoli dedication for Daniele

NAPLES, ITALY – JANUARY 12: Giovanni Di Lorenzo of Napoli celebrates after scoring his side first goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Verona at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on January 12, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

“He was always a courageous boy and we know that we must always try to win for him. I am happy we played for him today and we won,” Anguissa told DAZN.

Considering Napoli are now top of the table, can they continue to hide away from discussing Scudetto ambitions?

“As I always said, we want to take it one game at a time and then at the end we’ll see. It is too early to talk about the title. When you are a great team, and we proved that we are, we must aim to win every match,” added Anguissa.

The midfielder wore a special message on his wristband for Daniele, reading ‘you will always be with us.’

Lukaku has not been scoring as much as perhaps was expected, but he is a constant figure in every Napoli attack.

“I think the team is improving, we work really hard on tactics, both on and off the ball. We are a united group who do a lot together both on and off the field, so that is important,” Lukaku told DAZN.

“We know the January transfer market always has a lot of noise. We try to be concentrated on the games.”

Antonio Conte is constantly shouting from the touchline to give instructions, so he hasn’t changed at all since Lukaku first started working with him.

“He is always like that, both in training and during matches. It motivates the players in a positive way, you have to give your all and we do that.”