At the start of the season, there were serious questions about whether Maurizio Sarri was the man to lead Napoli forward. By the end of the campaign, despite a record-breaking points tally, there are now questions about whether it was an anti-climax. That just shows the incredible job that Sarri has done at Napoli in such a short time. Many questioned his credentials as a top coach having never really managed a big club and it looked set to be a year of transition for the Partenopei as they picked up just two points from their opening three games. Even former club legend Diego Maradona was quick to write off Sarri but the manager would go on to produce a Serie A campaign the likes of which had not been seen since the days of the great Argentine. There was another player from that country who was at the heart of everything as Gonzalo Higuain finally announced himself as the elite striker he always had the potential to be. His 36 league goals broke a 66 year old Serie A record held by Gunnar Nordahl for most goals in a season. Napoli were far from a "one man team" though as Sarri managed to assemble a side who produced the most attractive football in Italy. Lorenzo Insigne's reputation continued to grow as the main provider for Higuain whilst Jose Callejon had another stellar season too. However, Napoli's issue in recent years was never their attacking prowess. They had always struggled, even under the defensive-minded Benitez, to keep things tight at the back. Sarri seemed to strike the perfect balance as only the incredible Juventus backline conceded fewer goals in Serie A. Kalidou Koulibaly has grown from an error-prone young defender to one of the most sought after centre-backs in Europe after what was a breakout season for him. Sarri's best signing was perhaps in midfield as Allan, who was seen as a defensive player, produced dynamic box-to-box performances from the centre of the park. Napoli seemed to have all the ingredients for a Scudetto winning side and they did lead the way for many weeks. However, they just fell at the final hurdle under the intense pressure from the juggernaut that was Juventus. A tight game against the Old Lady in February, which Napoli lost late on, appeared to be the turning point. Nevertheless, there is plenty for Sarri to build on if he can keep hold of his top stars
