While his former Manchester United teammates are getting a pay cut and an uncertain future after failing to qualify for any European competitions, the situation is quite different for Scott McTominay, who is rightly praised in Italy.
Napoli hero Scott McTominay could be rewarded with a huge bonus for leading the Partenopei to the Serie A title.
McTominay and his Napoli teammates beat Cagliari 2-0 on Friday at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, when simultaneous final matches were played to determine the league champion. The Scotland international and his former Manchester United teammate Romelu Lukaku each scored a fantastic goal on opposite sides of the break at the Diego Maradona stadium in Naples.
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Soon there will probably be proposals to rename the stadium to Stadio Scott Diego Armando Maradona.
A spectacular volley from McTominay was followed after half-time by a brilliant solo goal from Lukaku, rendering Inter Milan’s efforts in the match against ten-man Como futile. Napoli finished one point ahead of the Nerazzurri, and the players could soon be knocking on the door of owner and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who was on the sidelines after full-time ready to celebrate with a whole city.
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Legendary film producer De Laurentiis is a cunning and sometimes controversial figure who loves nothing more than a Napoli team full of winners. He has previously rewarded his players exceptionally generously, and the current team is well aware of his past bonuses.
Generous bonuses in the works
La Repubblica reported that De Laurentiis committed to bonus payments to players and staff before a title fight that ultimately didn’t go their way. And he discussed the idea of bonuses with football journalist Guillem Balague when a place in the Club World Cup was still at stake in last year’s Champions League round of 16 against Barcelona.
“You are very well informed. It’s more than 10 million euros, actually,” De Laurentiis revealed when Balague asked him about the potential bonuses on CBS Sports last year.
“Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirms to Guillem Balague that he will pay his players over 10 million euros if they beat Barca.”
De Laurentiis is sure to dig deep into the pockets of Antonio Conte and his Serie A champions, and McTominay was a key player both in Friday’s win over Cagliari and throughout the season. His volley that broke the score on the last matchday of the season was his 12th goal of the season and his 16th assist overall.
McTominay becomes a legend
The 28-year-old Scot is already idolized at Napoli and has been called a “genius” by the Italian sports media. Less than a year after leaving Manchester United, McTominay has written himself into Napoli history as one of the club’s Scudetto winners.
Diego Maradona led them to two titles in 1987 and 1990, when Inter’s city rival AC Milan was their biggest competitor for the top spot. Luciano Spalletti led Napoli to their third title two years ago. Conte has now become the fourth Napoli manager to win the league, after Spalletti, Ottavio Bianchi and Alberto Bigon.
With a potential million-dollar bonus in store and an entire city adoring him, McTominay’s career foray into Naples has reached new heights – and it doesn’t seem like the adventure is over anytime soon.
