Naples city council on Friday
renamed the Napoli ground after late soccer genius and favourite
adopted son Diego Armando Maradona.
The San Paolo Stadium is now the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium,
in honour of the Argentina legend
who led Napoli to its first and so far only scudetti in 1987 and
1990 as well as an Italian Cup in 1987 and a UEFA Cup in 1989.
Mayor Luigi de Magistris announced the renaming shortly after
Maradona died last week at 60, saying "the people want it, they
spoke unanimously".
On Friday the council said "Maradona embodied the symbol of
redemption of a team to which, in the darkest years, he showed
that is is possible to get back up again, win and triumph,
offering at the same time a message of hope and beauty to the
whole city because, via the footballing victories of the
Argentine champion, not only the Napoli team won but also the
entire city that fully identifies in him.
"Maradona was always on the side of the weakest and the common
people, he battled the prejudices and discrimination to which
the Neapolitans were still subjeted inside stadiums, becoming
the idol of the whole city which forgave him his human
weaknesses and fragilities, which never overshadowed the
greatness of the champion".
Recalling that Maradona was made an honorary citizen of Naples
in 2017, the council said "never has anyone been able to
personify the body and soul of Naples in such a complete way"
and said the 'Pibe de Oro' "shared his brilliance and
uniqueness, but also his excesses and torments, which made him a
real son of the city".
It said Maradona was "loved and remembered also by those with no
interest in football, or by those who did not live through the
years of his successes.
"The outpourings of grief and the accolades received surpassed
all sporting, social, geographical, political and religious
boundaries, with extremely rare precedents, so as to make
renaming 'his' Neapolitan stadium a unanimous chorus extending
far beyond the city's fans".
Maradona, who died of a heart attack on November 25, is widely
held to be the best player ever.
He is remembered for the 'best goal ever', against England in
the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal, minutes after his controversial
'Hand of God' goal.
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