Napoli suffer worst start in 25 years after Venezia defeat

Published on: 18 October 2026

Napoli have made their worst start to a season for a quarter of a century after a 1-0 defeat by Venezia in Serie A.

The Campania side were beaten at the Stadio Luigi Penzo in the seventh round of the 2026/2027 Serie A season, with Akor Adams scoring the only goal in the 49th minute.

Napoli had an opportunity to equalise in the second half, but Kevin De Bruyne missed a penalty as Venezia held on for victory.

The result came four days after Napoli lost 3-1 to Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Across their Serie A and Champions League fixtures, Napoli have now lost five of their first nine matches of the season.

The club had not begun a campaign so poorly since the 2001/2002 season.

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