Napoli attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been crowned Serie A MVP – Player of the Season – for the Partenopei’s 2022/23 title-winning campaign. Kvaratskhelia will be presented with his award ahead of the champion’s final fixture of the season against Sampdoria at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Matchday 38.
With 12 Serie A goals and 13 assists, the Georgia international is one of the main reasons the Partenopei stormed to the scudetto, despite arriving from Dinamo Batumi in his homeland less than 12 months ago. Serie A opponents were unable to cope with his directness and determination on the attack.
“The impact of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the championship has been impressive,” Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo noted in their press release. “Congratulations to Napoli for bringing this talent to Italy, who has showcased his repertoire made up of technique, dribbling, personality and imagination from the very start. Kvaratskhelia was the driver of the Azzurri, who won the scudetto and made fans and lovers of beautiful football dream.”
Kvaratskhelia named Serie A MVP
Rather than traditional Player of the Season awards, this prize ranks players based on an analysis of Stats Perform data that is generated from the Hawk-Eye player tracking system that combines conventional statistical metrics, such as goals and assists, but also positional data.
The additional metrics allow the wider analysis of a player’s contribution, such as movement off the ball and in-game choices, and how that affects the overall technical and physical efficiency of their team, but excludes the 38th matchday.
The terms used by the Stats Perform data are somewhat unfamiliar. Kvaratskhelia recorded the highest ‘Technical Efficiency’ score in the last five years in Serie A, with 94.8%, surpassed 95 percent for ‘Physical Efficiency’ in 17 of his 33 matches played, and was in first place for both optimal game choice (94.8%) and in offensive aggression (95.3%).
Spalletti, Kim and Osimhen also land prizes
With Napoli dominating Serie A from the moment the 2022/23 campaign kicked off in August it was unsurprising that several of their title-winning contingent were handed awards by the governing body, with coach Luciano Spalletti rewarded for his role in steering the club to a first scudetto in 33 years with the Coach of the Year trophy. Spalletti has already confirmed he will depart the club at the end of the season.
Another significant part in their success this term, was Serie A debutant Kim Min-jae, and the central defender was crowned Best Defender, while Victor Osimhen was named Best Striker, and is expected to finish the season as capocannoniere with Inter frontman Lautaro Martinez needing five goals on the final day to surpass the Nigerian’s current tally of 25.
