Here’s the image that over 14 million fans of Juventus hope to see tomorrow evening and one that is the stuff of nightmares if you’re of a Napoli persuasion. To celebrate of not to celebrate, that is the question on everyone’s lips if Gonzalo Higuain nets against his former club at the J Stadium on Saturday.
 

Higuain spent three seasons with the vesuviani scoring 91 goals in 146 games and almost leading the club to their first Serie A title since 1990. Purchased for €39 million in the summer of 2013, the 28-year-old Argentine was resold to the bianconeri for €90 last summer to become Italian football’s costliest player of all time. Napoli invested the cash in a group of young, up and coming talents, but the departure of the player that was idolised on a scale not seen since Maradona, has left a bitter taste in the mouth.  

Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri and some of his former teammates have remained in contact with Higuain since his summer departure and the player himself has always been keen to stress at any given opportunity to thank the city, the fans and the football club for revitalising his career. His move made economic sense to Napoli but this is football and more importantly, this is Italy and in an industry just like any other, where players want to better themselves, fans will just not accept what they see as a betrayal of their respective clubs. Fans of the vesuviani have every right to be upset if Higuain nets tomorrow same as the player himself has every right to celebrate his goals no matter who the opposition. A Juventus fan will pay his admission fee tomorrow to see their team score; they have every right to expect Higuain, if it’s him, to celebrate.

By Andrea Distaso. Adapted & translated by Steve Mitchell