Associazione Napoli was founded in 1926, although tracks of the team can be dated back to 1904. The team immediately found it's first true idol in the Paraguayan-born Italian Attila Sallustro who played for the team for 12 years (1925-37) and scored 118 goals which still is the all-time best for a player in Napoli that day today. In all this time Napoli was partecipating in the Serie A only to be relegated to Serie B right after the World War II.

Shortly after the war they were admitted into Serie A again but were forced to relegation two years later due to a bribery scandal. In 1959 the team however moved into their current stadium Stadio San Paolo where they won their first Coppa Italia title in 1962 over SPAL but faced relegation the season after.

The team changed into it's current name Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli in 1964 and two years later they won the Coppe delle Alpi. In the 1970's they had continued their succes winning the Anglo-Italian Cup and their second Coppa Italia in 1976. The year later they reached the semi-finals in the Cup Winner's Cup losing to Anderlecht. In the league the team were always in the top but never contending for the Scudetto. 

In the 1980's however fortune changed for Napoli, especially thanks to their world  record breaking buy (€12 mio.) Diego Maradona in 1984 from Barcelona. Two seasons later the team won the double securing the Serie A title with three points and winning the Coppa Italia which was the first time a Southern Italian team accomplished this. Year later was trophy less but they came back strong in 1988/89 season winning the UEFA Cup beating Stuttgart in the final. The year after they won their second, and so far, last Scudetto. 

The year later saw them winning the Supercoppa Italiana but Diego Maradons had to be sidelined for 15 months due to a positive cocaine test following the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He would never play for the team again. 

After this the team declined radically and relegated to Serie B in 1998. The season after they had one stint in the top flight again only to relegate again and go bankrupt in 2004. Film producer Angelo De Laurentiis bought the club as Napoli Soccer and the team was admitted into Serie C1. The city had not forgot it's team and broke the record for a single match attendency in Serie C1: 51.000. De Laurentiis bought the story and name back in 2006 and has been in Serie A since 2007.