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Napoli’s San Paolo stadium will be renamed in tribute to club legend Diego Maradona after his death last month.
The Municipality of Naples officially confirmed the name change on Friday, as the city continues to mourn the Argentine’s death at the age of 60.
Maradona spent seven seasons with the club between 1984 and 1991, leading them to unprecedented success, including two Serie A titles, an Italian Cup and a UEFA Cup in 1989.
“With a resolution approved today, the stadium bears the name of Diego Armando Maradona,” the municipality of Naples said in a statement.
The resolution was proposed by Mayor Luigi de Magistris, by Toponymy Councilor Alessandre Clemente and signed by the entire city council, which met at Palazzo San Giacomo.
‘Shortly before the executive committee meeting, the advisory commission for the toponymy of the city had approved the proposal of the mayor, the councilor of Toponymy and the city council, naming the San Paolo stadium in honor of Diego Armanda Maradona with the name of Stadio Diego Armando Maradona ‘.
The team will play next Thursday at their newly appointed stadium against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League.
Although matches remain behind closed doors in Naples, fans gathered by the thousands to pay tribute to their club icon ahead of last week’s Europa League game against Rijeka, lighting flares throughout the stadium.
Banners of ‘El Rey’ were also hung inside the stadium, while dozens of items such as T-shirts, scarves, photographs and candles were left in an outside shrine.
But the decision to ditch Saint Paul in favor of the 1986 World Cup winner has not been well received by all.
A group of Naples priests wrote this week to the city’s Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe protesting the decision to change the name.
“The Stadio San Paolo should be named after the saint who brought us Jesus,” the letter says.
‘With humility we feel the responsibility to tell you. We all agree on one thing: we don’t want a clean slate. It would be nice to name the San Paolo-Maradona Stadium, as in Milan where the San Siro-Meazza is.
“It would be the right commitment to save the faith and honor the champion.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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