It was an improbable header from the tiny forward, but it wasn’t disbelief that made Lorenzo Insigne burst into tears after heading in an equalizer early last season against Torino. For weeks, the then-23 year old had been enduring taunts in that same stadium, from hometown supporters who had turned on the local boy. Napoli had already failed to make the Champions League group stage and had won just two of their five games – in a season in which Rafa Benítez was meant to be leading them on a title challenge. Insigne, with his tricky flashes of brilliance that often faded into nothingness, had become a convenient scapegoat for fans in Naples.

Those tears looked long forgotten on Sunday night, when Insigne pounced on a loose ball to send in the third goal of what would eventually be a 5-0 rout of Lazio. The crowd roared its approval as he raced over to celebrate near the corner flag. Insigne returned their affection by flashing his now-customary (don’t tell Gareth Bale) heart sign around the San Paolo.

Insigne may not have been crying, but Napoli fans would be forgiven if tears filled their eyes. Born in Naples and bred in the Napoli system, Insigne drew attention while at Foggia under Zdeněk Zeman and was part of the famous Pescara side that got themselves promoted to Serie A by scoring, scoring and more scoring. His 14 goals and 18 assists in that 2011-2012 season saw him brought back to Napoli, where expectations were high for the local wonderkid.

Perhaps they were too high. Insigne has all the trickery needed to catch the eye, and the pace necessary to constantly hassle the opposition. But Walter Mazzarri’s inherent distrust of youth kept him from being a regular starter, and he was never able to flourish in Rafa’s system. A significant injury that kept him out for five months last season also hurt his cause. It was looking more and more likely that Napoli would lose yet another of their sons before he’d grown into the star so many convinced themselves he was destined to become.

But then came Napoli’s revolution. Or, perhaps more accurately, their counter-revolution. When owner Aurelio De Laurentiis brought in Benítez, his goal was to put the side back on the world map, elevating it to a status it hadn’t occupied since the days of Diego Maradona. But that dream died quickly, and when Rafa left, De Laurentiis sent Napoli right back to its roots.

When asked why he brought in Maurizio Sarri to lead his team, rather than going after, say, Jürgen Klopp — a name that could keep Napoli relevant outside Italy — De Laurentiis was honest, saying such figures had no interest in Europa League play. Those discussions prompted an abrupt turn. Napoli would be led by an Italian, a man born in Naples, a man that pulled himself up by coaching in the country’s lowest levels, a man who knew what calcio meant.

SEE MORE: Why Roma can’t let themselves be distracted by Europe.

The club has yet to be truly Italianized under Sarri, with Mirko Valdifiori the only Italian brought on this summer, although Elseid Hysaj and Allan both have Serie A experience. And at first glance, there’s nothing typically “Italian” about the way Napoli play. While Sarri might be a bit more conservative than Rafa, he’s certainly not advocating a traditional style that takes the club back to the days of catenaccio.

That’s the old view of Italian football, however. Calcio has been moving toward a more possession-based, fluid style for years, resulting in 1024 goals last season, the highest tally for Europe’s top five leagues. Sarri is what the Italians want in a coach: a man willing to play engaging football, but tactically astute enough to know when to shift away from his preferred style and get a result. It’s not yet working perfectly at Napoli, but during the times it does come together, it’s obvious Napoli’s return to their Italian roots was exactly what the team needed.

And no player seems to be benefiting from the shift more than Lorenzo Insigne – the Italian, the Neapolitan, the local boy. He may have had just one goal and one assist in that 5-0 thrubbing of Lazio, but he seemed to have a hand in nearly every shot Napoli made. Running up the left, cutting inside, holding off players nearly twice his size with a flash of fancy footwork – he was doing it all and making it look easy. Sarri’s shift from Benitez’s 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-3-3 benefits Insigne, letting him have full freedom of the left flank as creator Marek Hamšík stays further back, taking on more of the burden of conducting the play. And while before he looked too reliant on pace, often outrunning his brain, Insigne seems to be thinking more and more, able to position himself perfectly, whether for the shot or simply to draw out defenders.

After years of waiting, Insigne finally looks to be coming into his own. And while Napoli fans may not have much to look forward to this season — it’s unlikely they’ll challenge for the title, or even make a deep run in the Europa League — they at least get to take some joy from Insigne. His play demonstrates that this inward turn, this embracing of what’s close to home, of what is both traditionally and recently Italian, will ultimately benefit this team. Plus, he’s an absolute delight to watch.

For now, Napoli fans are just fine with that.