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The superstar, one of the best players in the sport, is considered nothing less than a deity in the southern Italian city after spending seven memorable years playing for Serie A team Napoli.
Murals still adorn the city walls, while a banner in his memory was hung outside the stadium that read: “The King.”
Which perhaps explains why Napoli’s owner Aurelio De Laurentiis says he wants to change the name of the Stadio San Paolo in honor of the Argentine.
“I think it is correct to name San Paolo after his name, so that we can keep him with us as a witness to the excellent path that this team has taken,” he said in a statement.
Napoli took the field for the first time since Maradona died on Thursday and beat Rijeka 2-0 in the UEFA Europa League.
The team entered the field wearing Maradona’s iconic number 10 jersey with his name on the back and observed a minute’s silence before kick-off. Images of Maradona also appeared on the electric screens around the stadium.
The fans, unable to attend the match amid Covid-19 restrictions, gathered on the streets of Naples and outside the San Paolo stadium to pay their respects.
Transforming the region
Maradona came to Napoli in 1984 for a world record transfer fee. As one television commentator commented at the time: “The poorest city in Italy buys the most expensive player in the world.”
But Maradona transformed the club’s fortunes on the pitch, leading it to its first Serie A title in 1987, with a second in 1990.
His influence also brought new hope to a region suffering from poverty and restored pride to a city despised by much of the country.
Maradona’s former agent, Jon Smith, told CNN that the Argentine was “alone” turning the entire region around. It is not surprising that many Neapolitans deified the Argentine.
“The southern part of Italy in those days was very poor, very religious,” Smith said.
“(He had) these huge posters of Jesus hanging on most buildings and then huge posters of Diego with Jesus. It was that level of stardom and it’s hard to pull off.”
‘More than a footballer’
More than 70,000 fans had greeted Maradona when he first signed with the club and, coming from a humble background, he quickly identified with the problems facing the city and formed an unbreakable bond.
“I know all the problems they have. These people sacrifice themselves to buy the ticket,” Maradona once said.
“They believed in me, they gave me everything without knowing me and that cannot be forgotten.”
Italian soccer expert James Horncastle says Maradona’s choice to play for Napoli was “symbolic” given that he could have made it to any other team in the world.
“He wanted to win there because he felt like one of them,” Horncastle, who covers Serie A for The Athletic, told CNN Sport.
“The way in which the Neapolitans identify with Diego Maradona, who came from poverty, is this little boy who nailed it to the greats, who was this anti-system figure who could restore pride to that city.
“He basically told them that ‘you too can be winners. For this reason, he is more than a footballer in Naples. “
‘Maradona is a God’
Despite producing sublime football for Napoli, things got further complicated for Maradona off the pitch.
Horncastle says that Maradona’s time in Naples was a “metaphor” for his life with extreme ups and downs followed by dark lows.
There was alcoholism, drug use, and connections to the Neapolitan mob, with the party icon from Sunday to Wednesday at the height of his fame.
Although his personal life was mired in controversy, Maradona’s impact on the region remains eternal.
Former Italy star Fabio Cannavaro once said: “Maradona is a God to the people of Naples. Maradona changed history.”
Napoli’s stadium announcer Daniele Bellini said he used to have a picture of Maradona by his childhood bed and that he went to bed every night happy because the legend played for his team.
“Thank you Diego for everything you have done for us Neapolitans, we will never forget you.”
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