McBro: Scott McTominay’s new nickname at Napoli has some local flavor

ROME (AP) — Scott McTominay’s new preferred nickname is a mix of his Scottish surname and some Neapolitan dialect.

The attacking midfielder who has been the driving force behind Napoli’s surge into the Serie A lead revealed his choice after scoring a brace in a 2-0 win over Torino that raised his total to five goals in three games.

Asked in an on-field post-match interview if he preferred MacGyver, McTerminator, McFratm or “apribottiglie” (which translates as bottle opener, because he tends to open the scoring for Napoli), McTominay selected “McFratm” — which incorporates the Neapolitan word for brother: “fratm.”

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“Pasquale Mazzocchi would say Fratm, so McFratm,” McTominay said, referring to Napoli’s homegrown defender, who created the nickname.

Or, as Serie A said on X, it’s “McBro for those who don’t speak Napoletano.”

McTominay had been with Manchester United since the age of 5 before he joined Napoli in August and he’s developed into just the type of midfielder that demanding coach Antonio Conte was seeking: A player able to impose himself physically with his 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) frame while also producing goals, often through headers.

But McTominay can also score with his feet, as seen against Torino on Sunday when he twice took advantage of open space created when Romelu Lukaku attracted defenders and redirected crosses for both goals.

With 11 league goals, McTominay set the record for a Scottish player in Serie A, overtaking Denis Law, who had 10 with Torino in 1961-62. Law, who also spent the bulk of his career at United and remains the only Scottish player to win the Ballon d’Or, died in January at 84.

“We don’t have many players capable of scoring in the double digits,” Conte said. “We’ve had to work hard and take advantage of all of our resources.”

The victory over Torino on Sunday moved Napoli three points clear of Inter Milan with four rounds remaining in the Italian league. The southern squad is therefore in position to claim its second Serie A title in three seasons. That’s a shorter span than the two championships in four seasons with Diego Maradona in 1987 and 1990 — although Maradona’s team also won the UEFA Cup in 1989.

“It would mean the world,” McTominay said. “But for us it’s not getting too high in this moment because obviously we’re now leading the race.”

It’s been a complete turnaround for Napoli, which finished 10th last season during its title defense and went through three different coaches.

For a team that lost Victor Osimhen in September and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January, McTominay has filled some big gaps.

“You can see what type of player he is on the pitch,” Napoli fullback Leonardo Spinazzola said. “I can only say that he is a special guy, golden, always smiling and happy, an incredible worker. We are so lucky to have him.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer