Let Diego Maradona attract enthusiasts to a stadium where they can enter.
Thousands of enthusiasts from Naples made a pilgrimage to the San Paolo stadium on Thursday to appease a candle, leave a shawl or blouse and shed tears reminiscent of their hero.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, enthusiasts were able to participate to see how the Europa League fit in in Naples against Croatian side Rijeka.
Instead, Napoli Captain Lorenzo Insigne left the stadium and joined the enthusiasts for a few minutes to leave a bouquet alongside the enthusiasts’ tributes.
The whole town has been declared in mourning by the wonderful footballer, who died on Wednesday of an attack on the center at the age of 60, two weeks after being discharged from a porteño hospital after a brain operation.
Maradona led Naples to his only two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 and is a divine figure in the southern city.
“He defended us, either when he played here and after he left,” said Insigne, who is originally from Napoli. “He has carried us in his heart. And now we have to bring it into our hearts since he left. Duele. Es s a sad day for the Neapolitans. “
“The whole team and the club the family,” Insigne added. “He was the greatest player of all time and we are honored that he wore the Napoli shirt and played in this stadium. “
The mayor of Naples, Luigi De Magistris, previously announced that he had begun the official process to change the name of San Paolo to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Meanwhile, a Maradona symbol adorned the giant screens inside the stadium as opposed to Rijeka.
All Napoli players took to the court dressed in Maradona’s number 10 shirts and his call on the back, before converting their number before kick-off. Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso also wore a Maradona shirt.
They both wearing black bracelets and stayed a minute’s silence in the middle of the circle before the game started. Napoli players have crossed their arms.
The director of Naples, Cristiano Giuntoli, said: “We are all shocked and wounded. “
___
More AP football: https://apnews. com/Soccer and https://twitter. com/AP_Sports
___
Andrew Dampf is in https://twitter. com/AndrewDampf