Napoli clinch the Scudetto: Hirving Lozano becomes the first Mexican to win Serie A

Hirving Lozano has become the first Mexican to win the Italian league title after Napoli clinched the Scudetto on Thursday.

Lozano came on as a late substitute for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with the scores at 1-1 against mid-table Udinese. Napoli saw out the remaining five minutes to secure the vital point that makes them Italian champions.

Napoli have won the Scudetto for the first time since the 1989/90 season and only the second time in their history. The previous two wins both came during Diego Maradona’s spell in Naples.

The Napoli faithful now have a new set of icons after this title charge. Lozano has not been a first choice for much of this season but he has played in 32 of Napoli’s 33 Serie A fixtures.

After the title was sealed on Thursday Lozano was mobbed by supporters on the pitch and he was later leading the celebrations in the changing room.

Napoli needed a single point to secure the title but went behind early against Udinese. However Serie A top scorer Victor Osimhen was on hand to equalise, firing home a loose ball in the box from close range.

After the game Napoli head coach Luciano Spalletti said: “Seeing the Partenopei smiling and joyful is the greatest emotion for me. They are the ones who pass on their happiness.”

“The problem was reaching this point, as when you have the feelings of an entire city weighing on your back,” he added.

“There are people here who will be able to get through difficult moments in their lives because they remember this moment. These people deserve all the joy.”

There was plenty of joy on Thursday as the Napoli fans in attendance – who had travelled the length of the country to witness a historic triumph – flooded the pitch on the full time whistle.

Dries Mertens, Kalidou Koulibaly and Lorenzo Insigne may have all left last summer, but Naples now has a new set of heroes.