Venezia, who had not earned a single point in their first six Serie A matches, achieved a 1-0 victory over Napoli on 19 October 2026. This win marked a dream start for new manager Davide Nicola, known as a 'survival specialist', who took charge after Giovanni Stroppa was dismissed following a 3-1 defeat to Atalanta.
Akor Adams scored Venezia's goal in the second half, striking from the edge of the area. Napoli, last season's Serie A runners-up, introduced substitutes including Kevin De Bruyne, Alisson Santos, and Rasmus Højlund, but were unable to find an equaliser. Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic saved a penalty from De Bruyne and made several other key saves.
The result has intensified scrutiny on Napoli manager Massimiliano Allegri, who was appointed to replace Antonio Conte in the summer. Allegri has now presided over five defeats in nine games, including losses to Inter, Como, and in the Champions League group stage to Arsenal and Villarreal.
Questions have been raised about Allegri's squad rotation choices, particularly regarding the initial benching of key players like De Bruyne, Højlund, and Alisson Santos. Allegri has used 23 players this Serie A season, backing his belief in the existing squad, a stance that reportedly diverged from his predecessor Conte's assessment.