While walking through the streets of the city for an espresso in the evening, I came across a small café called “Bar Nilo”. It was decorated with souvenirs and even the coffee cups had the Napoli football crest on them. Before I could pretend to speak Italian at the counter, I was startled through a revolving light next to the door.
It’s none other than a lock of Diego Maradona’s hair. Preserved as a relic in a small revolving glass box, presented as part of a shrine dedicated to the wonderful former footballer. One of the many places of worship in this city. I had discovered what I was looking for; A city full of history with a strong smell of football nostalgia. I took a sip of my espresso, dodged some scooters, and set about exploring the rest of this city I’d heard so many clever things about.
“I only saw my father cry twice: the first time when he emerged unscathed from a serious twist of fate and the second time on May 4, 2023. Gaetano
A year ago, on Saturday, May 4, 2023, Napoli won their first Serie A title in 33 years, and third all-time. This happened thanks to the 1-1 draw at Udinese. That night, Victor Osimhen’s equalizer was enough to drive the city of Napoli crazy and earn a name that many feared would never come. Not since the days of Diego Maradona have the other Neapolitans felt so much joy and, for many, the first glance after the final whistle directed to the sky. For many, El Diego stands high, overseeing this sacred event.
This village is not only the home followed by El Diego, it is also a charming setting that runs along the Mediterranean coast. It is a town that is connected to the sea in every possible way, and the ocean and sky are as blue as those of Naples. He pointed to the house T-shirt. Put on the map through Maradona; This team now has a new generation of heroes and, despite their poor form a year later, they are still celebrated on the streets of Naples, and will be forever.
I’ve had amazing tour guides in Naples; Alessandro Tione, Daniele Carrano and Gaetano Bastone. These 3 young creatives have their own way of documenting this glorious city, and specifically its football club and the way it unites the other inhabitants here. They photograph the streets of the city, the artwork of Maradona and the other glorious people who fill this city with life.
They are also avid fans of Napoli Football Club and never miss a match. Since they were little, they have gone to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium (formerly Stadio San Paolo) every Sunday with friends and family, and in 2023. , their team has rewarded them for their loyalty.
One of the first things we saw as we explored the cobblestone streets of the old city was a banner depicting a team covered in a 4-3-3 formation, but dressed in the black and white stripes of Juventus, Napoli’s biggest rival. “. What is it?” I asked Alessandro, surprised. “The names on the back of the jerseys are all the referees’ names,” he laughs. Juventus were stripped of their league titles and relegated due to a corruption scandal.
While at Napoli, I learned that it offers much more than just a football experience. The historical site of Pompeii is just down the street, the locals are friendly, the streets are lively, and the food is amazing. Still, this pizza The paradisiacal port city gathers mostly around its football team and the legacy left by Diego Maradona. Religion is calcium and God is Diego.
The sky, the ocean and the famous Napoli jersey give this glorious city a distinctive shade of blue.
Through the eyes of my local friends, I am aware that this city and its other inhabitants are unique to Italy. Alessandro, who likes to be known as Alex, told me:
“When we win, it’s not just a victory for Napoli, the football team. It’s a victory for our city against the city.
You see, Naples has been looked down upon since it was stripped of its kingdom when Italy was unified through Garibaldi in the 19th century. Every corner of this country will have its share of history, but here in Naples it’s pretty clear. For the locals, the powers of the North did not make a larger olive branch and proposed a unification that would benefit everyone. Instead, they waged war on Naples, did violence to their ancestors, and robbed the region of its riches and resources. tells the whole story, and the other inhabitants of Naples still feel it today.
Alex explained that most young Neapolitans feel the desire to move north to find job opportunities, that employers will opt for someone from Milan rather than one from Naples, even if they have the same qualifications, and this is due to the centuries-old struggles to In today’s politics, Naples has been persecuted and that’s why it feels different from the rest of Italy.
Alessandro Tione feels Italian, but above all he feels Neapolitan, hence the ring. A proud supporter of his club, for Alex, the most productive way to make the Neapolitan identity explicit is to beat the teams from the north on the football field.
“I’m Italian, but first I’m from Naples,” Alex tells me, wearing a ring with the word “Napoli” engraved on it. “When we play against some groups from the north, they display flags that say ‘Welcome to Italy’. No wonder they remain tense.
When Napoli won their third Scudetto title a year ago, they celebrated their victory over their northern neighbours by displaying the Italian flag crest upside down. The national symbol is also an insignia worn by the reigning Serie A champions, but waving the flag backwards. , the neo-Plotians showed that they are champions of Italy, they have not forgotten how Italy treated them.
Furio, a character of Neapolitan blood from the popular series “The Sopranos,” may have simply said “I hate the North,” but neither Alex nor I are suggesting that it be black and white. Some Southerners might, in fact, “hate the North. “and others may not be so interested. However, this city, unlike most others, obviously has an exclusive relationship with its own state, identified through at least everyone it knows.
In 2023, the Italian national team played its first match in Naples in about a decade. For many, this was welcome, and on the contrary, they were annoyed that the Azzurri took so long to recognize Naples as their home.
At the 1990 World Cup, Diego Maradona led Argentina against Italy in Naples to a World Cup semi-final. At the time, the media claimed that all Neapolitans were totally against the Italian national team and Diego himself had blatantly tried to convince the local enthusiasts in Argentina.
In the end, some did and some didn’t. That night’s combined reports and aids, exaggerated, did not help the Neapolitans to love their brethren in the North. The Italian media used the rumours and doubts as one more stick to hit the other “unpatriotic” people in Naples.
The story, combined with the economic and social symptoms it presented to the city of Naples, created a siege mentality among its inhabitants. What better way to channel that fury, feeling and fans than through football, shouting for Napoli against the classic giants of the north. .
Now that we’ve briefly touched on the ancient context, let’s talk about the guy who brought it all to this city. The boy from Buenos Aires who, thanks to a crescendo of footballing grace and loud behaviour, has become the spokesperson and saviour. of the other inhabitants of Naples.
Diego Maradona arrived in Naples from Barcelona in 1984. At the time, the club had never won a major European trophy or an Italian league name in Serie A. Fast forward to 1990 and the Argentinian had also brought two Serie A names to the city. as a European name in the form of a UEFA Cup, and even a Coppa Italia and a Super Cup for good measure.
Alex told me that those who weren’t interested in football or those who were perhaps enthusiastic about other teams, all bought season tickets during Diego’s years and flocked to see Napoli’s famous number 10.
“Maradona in Naples is like a human God. He came down to earth to be on the side of the weakest, of the Argentines, of their people and of Naples, his second city. His moves to help Argentina win the World Cup, take revenge on the English, and win two championships against the northern powers at Napoli will be remembered forever. You only have to walk through the towns of Naples or Buenos Aires and you realize that Maradona’s face is drawn on all the walls. ” says Gaetano.
All of my hosts in Naples document their city through photographs and normal interactions with other locals. Here, everyone has a story about El Diego. Alex led me to a particularly desirable position in the middle of Naples’ Old Town. An auto mechanic where giant portions are sold. of the walls of the garage are completely covered with old newspaper clippings from Maradona’s time.
The same circle of family members who owned the position in the late ’80s still tell stories about El Diego today. Maradona’s own fresco hunter, Alex, described this beautiful status quo as so many others. Naples is like an open canvas, a sanctuary committed to its most prominent (adopted) son.
“Maradona, politically active, never hesitated to say the right thing and protect the poorest. This will never be forgotten by the Neapolitans, who will make Diego their God on earth forever,” Gaetano continues.
To some, Maradona might have been considered a populist who would not possibly have put into practice what he preached, however, for the Argentinian and Neapolitan masses, this guy had one voice when they had no other; someone who would communicate their struggle and draw attention to the social and political destiny of their people.
Maradona caught between a rock and a hard place outside the Naples field. The boy from the favela of Buenos Aires is unearthed in Naples, at the height of the Camorra’s power. The Naples mafia and Maradona’s mafia intermingled, and while Diego frequented their institutions and won gifts along the way, they benefited from his calling and image.
Diego Maradona is much more than a footballer in Naples. From the voice of others to a questionable figure in popular culture, the highlights have followed Diego everywhere. (Photo via Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
“I don’t like the way his figure is commercially exploited. “Said Daniele, “And without taking anything away from him, Napoli is not just Maradona. We have a city in history, culture and art like few others, but I would like to have enjoyed having met Diego.
Maradona has also become known for his acts of charity off the field in Naples, occasionally supporting local reasons and underprivileged children. He spoke of his past as a child from a poor neighborhood and how he sought to be the hero of the poor of Naples. Diego and Napoli was a heavenly match, which went to the draw and would resonate far beyond football.
“This all-out war between North and South has made me stronger. I like to fight for a cause. And if it’s the cause of the poor, so much the better,” Maradona said in his autobiography.
Diego was angered by the “Welcome to Italy” banners with which the warring sides in the north greeted Napoli supporters, and now locals like Alex, Daniele and Gaetano feel the same. It’s no surprise that the artwork in the city center depicts Diego. like an angel from above watching over the city and claiming the next Serie A name. Therefore, it is not surprising that an entire city has entrusted the 2023 triumph to “Santo Diego” himself. Not to mention that without Maradona, Napoli would probably never have won a national first name all the years ago, let alone a second or a third.
Napoli has a raucous fan base and a good atmosphere of form.
Daniele: “I don’t forget each and every hug at Curve B with other people who were strangers at the beginning of the year, but who in the end were part of the family circle. I won’t forget the tears at the final whistle of the match against Udinese. I never will. “
Angel Diego may have been hunting from the top, but an excellent Napoli led by Luciano Spalletti had yet to win the 2022/23 Serie A on the pitch; And they did it at a gallop. This name was earned at the beginning of May and not at the end of the month at the end of the season.
Napoli won 21 of its first 24 league games last season as it raced to a third domestic title. Their heroes were talented Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nigerian talisman forward Victor Osimhen. The two men scored 38 league goals between them and were key players. in the team’s historic success.
However, they couldn’t have done it alone, and Spalletti put together a team that wasn’t exactly full of world-class players, but capable of supporting their creators while balancing the team at the back. The team controlled 14 blank sheets in their first 27 league games and unofficially sealed the trophy at the end of March.
Since then, Spalletti has left and coached the Italian national team, and Napoli have failed in epic fashion to protect their title. Such was the stampede in this city last May, but it doesn’t matter too much. However, it shows just how key their coach was last season. In addition to betting on his team’s strengths, Spalletti seemed to galvanize some of the team’s fringe players to perform above the point many thought they were capable of.
Giovanni Simeone has scored nine goals in all competitions and Kim Min-jae was named Serie A Player of the Month in September in his first season in Italy. Meanwhile, Piotr Zieliński and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa put in performances in midfield like never before. .
From the Mediterranean coast to New York City, the Naoplite network danced in the streets on May 4, 2023, and for days and weeks afterward. For the first time since 1990, they were presented with the glittering prize so widely discovered in the northern regions of Piedmont and Lombardy.
Gaetano says: “A wait of 33 years. Honestly, I had given up on the idea that one day I could see Napoli win the Scudetto. I was convinced it would just be a story my father told me.
“The city has experienced a ‘Renaissance’. Tourists from all over the world came here just to be able to enjoy a minute of one of the most anticipated festivals in southern Italy in recent years.
Napoli’s Italian defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo holds the Italian Scudetto championship trophy while HeArray. . [ ] and his teammates celebrate winning the 2023 Scudetto championship title. When will they do it again?
It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Napoli fell from the dizzying heights of a year ago; After all, it’s a feat no one expected. 33 years without a Serie A name brings a kind of relief that means you don’t necessarily have to worry about tomorrow. That said, this is a passionate fan base that needs more moments like May 4, 2023, and in fact, they don’t need to wait another 33 years for the next national name.
The club’s owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, is not known for his calm and controlled leadership. He had a lot of good luck at the helm of Napoli, but also a lot of failures. Few people were inspired by Rudi Garcia’s appointment as Spalletti was temporarily sacked this season. Few people were inspired by the appointment of former chief Walter Mazzarri afterward, and he fired him even more temporarily.
The current Napoli coach is also the coach of the Slovak national team; Francesco Calzona, and I think it’s fair to say that everyone would be surprised if he was still on the bench at the end of the summer. With titans such as Inter Milan and Juventus, as well as the rise of smaller minnows such as Atalanta and Bologna and Napoli facing a festival to return to the top of Italian football, and it already looks like they will not be able to qualify for any kind of continental football.
“We’ve had too many memories, Napoli deserve more, European titles. . . Scudetti,” Daniele continues.
“President De Laurentiis said that Napoli would get the league back in 3 or 4 years and that the next goal for the next 10 years would be the Champions League. As fans, ambition is very important, I’m sceptical about winning the Champions League. Gaetano continued.
This season I had the excitement of watching Napoli beat Juventus at home in Serie A. In addition to being an undeniable win against a wonderful team, it’s a win against a wonderful team from the North, remember?A victory for the city, and in the air.
Unfortunately for Napoli, those victories have been few and far between in recent times, but last year’s good luck put the club back on the map and in global interest for the first time since Diego’s time. Naples is home to some of the highs. restaurants, climates and other productive people in Europe, but it is also home to some of football’s most iconic moments. Hopefully, there are more stories to be written here and more stories await us in the future.
Napoli’s Diego Maradona celebrates his team’s first goal in the Serie A match between Array. Football History.