Insigne Watch: Toronto FC-bound star plays final home game for Napoli

Sunday, May 15th was quite the day for Lorenzo Insigne as the Napoli captain played his final home game for his boyhood club.

The forward also got on the scoresheet in his side’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Genoa, dispatching a penalty to double the lead in the second half. With that goal, Insigne passed Marek Hamšík to become Napoli’s second all-time top scorer, a feat he was surely hoping to achieve before leaving the club.

Insigne was substituted in the final moments of the match to a standing ovation from the home crowd, highlighting just how emotional of a day it was for both the player and the fans.

Prior to kickoff, Napoli honoured their fourth all-time appearance leader with a heartfelt video tribute, as well as a trophy (which was indeed bigger than him), a framed jersey, and a poster showcasing some of his most memorable moments with the club.

The Euro 2020 winner also gave a touching speech to the fans in attendance, with many reduced to tears as their captain spoke to them one last time.

Following the match, Insigne, with his children by his side, walked around the stadium applauding the Napoli faithful in yet another sentimental moment on the day.

The 3-0 win in their penultimate fixture of the 2021-22 Serie A campaign saw Napoli secure third place in the league, an improvement from their fifth-place finish last season. As a result, Gli Azzurri have booked their place in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Napoli will conclude their campaign away to Spezia on Sunday, May 22nd.

Through 36 matches in all competitions this season, Insigne has scored 11 goals (nine in Serie A), and provided 10 assists (also nine in Serie A). Out of his 11 strikes, seven of them came after his move to Toronto FC was announced.

Insigne signed a pre-contract agreement with TFC in January 2022, putting pen to paper on a four-year deal, worth €11m per season, plus €4.5m in add-ons. The Italy international will officially become a Toronto FC player on July 1st, 2022.

Moreover, the next time Lorenzo Insigne plays a home game at the club level, it will be at BMO Field. Incredible.