da leao： Just like the Serie A titleholders, the Georgian has endured a difficult season, but he's rediscovered his goalscoring touch in recent weeks
da dobrowin： Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is not exactly a combustible character. Similar in style to Diego Maradona? Somewhat. He's not nicknamed 'Kvaradona' for nothing. But the same kind of demonstrative personality as the Argentine? Not at all. The Georgian usually shuns the spotlight because he's actually quite shy.
So, while it was certainly a surprise to see him withdrawn midway through Napoli's Champions League last-16 first leg against Barcelona, it was his reaction that was truly shocking, with a visibly annoyed Kvaratskhelia snubbing not only his coach, but also his team-mates as he came off.
He didn't even take a seat on the bench, making his displeasure clear by opting to sit on some steps to the left of the dugout. It may not have seemed like much – truth be told, it probably wasn't as bad as Kevin De Bruyne's bratty behaviour at Anfield on Sunday – but, for Kvaratskhelia, this amounted to a touchline tantrum.
And it wasn't as if his demeanour improved much after the game. On the contrary, Kvaratskhelia was the first Napoli player to leave Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. With his hoodie pulled up over his head, he walked straight through the mixed zone, refusing to even acknowledge colleagues, let alone answer questions from journalists.
This wasn't the humble and happy Kvaratskhelia Napoli knew and loved. But then again, we hadn't seen the real Kvaratskhelia on the field either.
Getty Images'I don't look at their names'
Taking off one of the heroes of last season's Scudetto success may have been a ballsy move by Napoli's new coach Francesco Calzona – but it was also the correct call. Kvaratskhelia had contributed absolutely nothing to the game against Barcelona. In 67 minutes of (in)action, he managed zero shots, no key passes and just 36 touches – fewer than Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret.
He wasn't the only star to be hooked either. Victor Osimhen was replaced just two minutes after scoring the goal that earned Napoli a 1-1 draw. "I keep the players on the field who are doing well, I don’t look at their names," Calzona told afterwards. "Those who do not do well can be removed."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesNapoli's fallen star
In the case of Osimhen, there were mitigating circumstances. He's had injury issues this season and fatigue has undoubtedly been a factor in the forward's patchy performances, with Nigeria's run to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations having taken a heavy toll on him.
Kvaratskhelia has had no such excuse to fall back on during his unproductive periods – and there have been quite a few. Indeed, while desperately trying to explain Napoli's dramatic dip in form over the past year, outspoken president Aurelio De Laurentiis even publicly pointed out that Kvaratskhelia, the team's "star" last season, didn't score a single goal between March and November of 2023.
However, Kvaratskhelia certainly can't be held responsible for the mess De Laurentiis has made of a glorious opportunity to build a dynasty at the Maradona; if anything, he's paid the price for the president's poor decision-making.
H&KGeneral malaise
Clearly, there is a direct correlation between Kvaratskhelia's form and that of Napoli. When he plays well, the team usually does too. And there's no denying that he's gone missing on several occasions, particularly in the Champions League, where he's managed just one direct goal involvement. One could even argue that he's not actually been at his best in Europe since the 6-1 rout of Ajax in Amsterdam in October 2022 that made the whole football world sit up and take notice of Luciano Spalletti's side.
However, Kvaratskhelia wasn't the only player to run out of steam towards the tail end of the last season – or struggle since the devastating departure of former coach Spalletti, who fell out with De Laurentiis. Several key men have underwhelmed, including midfielder Stanislav Lobotka and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, just two other victims of a general malaise at the Maradona that has already claimed two coaches this season, in Rudi Garcia and Walter Mazzarri.
Getty ImagesThe return of Kvaradona?
It also has to be acknowledged that Kvaratskhelia has actually been one of Napoli's better players this term. On average, he's completing more dribbles per game, making more chances and delivering more crosses than 2022-23.
His efficacy has undoubtedly fallen, though. Kvaratskhelia ended last season with 14 assists in all competitions; he has just five this time around, and we're already approaching the middle of March.
However, Kvaratskhelia has looked like his old unstoppable self in recent weeks, showcasing the same kind of devastating dribbling skills that provoked inevitable comparisons with Maradona (given the colour of the shirt he was wearing), but that were actually more evocative of the wing wizardry of George Best.