Ex-Ajax and Barcelona favourite Patrick Kluivert has predicted that Napoli will win the UEFA Champions League.
Former Ajax, Barcelona, and AC Milan star Patrick Kluivert has thrown his weight behind Napoli to win this year's UEFA Champions League.
Kluivert predicts Napoli will win the UCL
Kluivert became the youngest player to score in a UCL final in 1995, scoring the winner in Ajax's win over AC Milan.
He had a successful career with Barcelona after leaving Ajax (via a short spell in Milan) and was invited to make the quarterfinals and semifinals draw for the 2022/23 season as a legend of the competition.
Before making the draw for the next two rounds of the competition, Kluivert was asked who he wanted to win the UCL, and the ex-Netherlands forward hesitated before picking Napoli.
He said, "If I have to say a name of who hit me, I say Napoli. They are dominating the championship and having an excellent Champions League experience. They learn fast".
Impressive Napoli gathering steam in the UCL and Serie A
Napoli are the dark horses to go all the way and win the UCL, despite playing in the quarterfinals for the first time in the club's history.
Napoli have been one of the most impressive teams in Europe this season. They currently have one hand on the Scudetto, as they lead Serie A with 18 points and will clinch the title barring an unlikely collapse.
They have also been impressive in the UCL, winning seven of their eight matches so far, with their only loss coming in a dead-rubber match against Liverpool.
They have also been drawn on the “easier” path to the final, facing AC Milan in the quarterfinal, and potentially facing either Inter or Benfica.