Napoli striker Khvicha ‘Kvaradona’ Kvaratskhelia has stated his eagerness to return to action as the Serie A resumes from its winter break on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
Relatively unknown prior to his signing for Napoli, it took all of 37 minutes into his Serie A debut back in August to score his first goal and not much longer to earn the nickname “Kvaradona” for his dribbling wizardry, which helped Napoli establish an eight-point lead over defending champion AC Milan before the 7 1/2-week break for the World Cup.
His 6 goals and 5 assists in 12 games has seen him become a vital cog in the Napoli attack, alongside Nigerian powerhouse, Victor Osimhen.
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“The city lives for and loves soccer. Everyone understands soccer in Naples,” Kvaratskhelia told Serie A TV rights holder DAZN.
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“As a player, it’s motivating when the entire city is cheering for you and constantly transmits its love for you.”
When Kvaratskhelia burst onto the scene in Napoli and virtually nobody could pronounce his name, he quickly earned several nicknames. But “Zizi,” “l‘Angelo Azzurro” and “Kvaravaggio” all paled in comparison to “Kvaradona.”
“They’re all very nice but when even a small part of Maradona’s name is associated with yours, it’s an honor and it creates a different emotion from the others,” Kvaratskhelia said.
”‘Kvaradona’ is definitely my favorite.”
