On 22/12 at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh, David Neres scored two goals, leading Napoli to a victory over Bologna. Neres became the second Brazilian player to score more than one goal in an Italian Super Cup match, following Careca, who achieved a brace for Napoli against Juventus in 1990.

After the match, McTominay appeared in the locker room, smoking a cigar in celebration with teammates Luca Marianucci and Antonio Vergara. This image quickly went viral on social media.

Scott McTominay (center) celebrates with a cigar alongside teammates Luca Marianucci and Antonio Vergara after Napoli's 2-0 victory over Bologna in the Italian Super Cup final.

This marks McTominay's second title with Napoli, following their Serie A win in the 2024-2025 season. When Napoli held a Scudetto victory parade in open-top buses around Naples, the Scottish midfielder also drew attention by holding the cup, smoking, and singing with his teammates and fans.

Napoli secured their third Italian Super Cup in history. This also marks the first time the club has won two titles in the same calendar year since the era of the late legend Diego Maradona.

"We had a wonderful evening", said President Aurelio De Laurentiis. "Since the Maradona era, Napoli has won two titles in one year again. That is very important. I tell the fans: keep dreaming, always dreaming".

According to coach Antonio Conte, Napoli has had an impressive journey. However, to truly dominate Italian football, the club needs to maintain stability and a strong desire to win over a long period – a characteristic previously seen in Naples only during the Diego Maradona era.

"The players deserve congratulations for a perfect tournament", the Italian coach stated. "They showed a strong desire to win this title for the fans. We now have both the Scudetto and the Super Cup, having defeated very strong teams like Inter, Milan, and Bologna".

Napoli celebrates their Italian Super Cup title. Photo: AFP

Napoli celebrates their Italian Super Cup title. Photo: AFP

Conte also emphasized the demanding nature of top-tier football, where only champions are remembered. "Only winners remain in history. Two years ago, Napoli lost to Inter in the Super Cup final, and almost no one mentions it. In football, the only thing remembered is who wins the cup", he expressed.

The 56-year-old coach stated that he learned many lessons from failures in both his playing and coaching careers. He said: "No one remembers that I lost three Champions League finals or was a World Cup runner-up. They only remember the titles I won. Failure makes you more determined not to repeat those painful moments".

The Italian Super Cup was traditionally reserved for the Serie A and Coppa Italia champions. However, it was expanded in 2023 to include four teams, featuring both the league and cup runners-up. The tournament is set to be held in Saudi Arabia until 2029, with this year's final taking place in the capital, Riyadh.

Hong Duy (according to Daily Mail, Football Italy)