Italian giants drawn to face the Swans in the first knockout round of the competition
For as long as I can remember, I've heard Swansea compared to Naples - largely (if not entirely) due to the shape of the bay. Thanks to the Europa League, Swansea fans now have an opportunity to see for themselves if indeed there is any similarity, or whether the comparison is a bit of a stretch.
In the meantime, however, I've found a picture of Naples online for us to have a look at. Pretty eh? I can see where the comparisons come from, though I've no doubt the sea is a much more agreeable temperature in the Med as opposed to the Bristol Channel.
As for the football itself, Napoli boss Rafa Benitez has already come out and said how he thinks Swansea are a gifted technical side, capable of causing his side problems:
"Over the past few years have made great progress. They're a growing team that love to dribble and that plays good football.
"Their manager Laudrup loves to retain possession, knows how to get the team motivated and they have quality individuals such as Michu who have great talent"
Alan Curtis, for his part, has also been interviewed for his thoughts on the draw. Given he'll remember Maradona playing for the team from Naples, he's probably looking forward to this one more than some of the younger players at the club:
"I'm delighted with the draw to pitch ourselves against one of the great powerhouses of Europe. From a playing point of view it's a fantastic draw. To me they are always associated with Diego Maradona. You only have to watch highlights of [their] games to know it's going to be a hostile atmosphere.
"Europe has been a great a experience but if we had travelled over to the Russia or Ukraine it would have been a dampener just with the sheer amount of travelling. Without a doubt we have got a chance of getting through."
I'm really excited about this one - get through, and we'll be facing either Eintracht Frankfurt or Porto away from home. **** just got real.