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Naples city council rename stadium in honour of Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona has been formally honoured by the city of Naples.  Napoli's San Paolo Stadium has...
Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

16.14 4 Dec 2020


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Naples city council rename sta...

Naples city council rename stadium in honour of Diego Maradona

Richie McCormack
Richie McCormack

16.14 4 Dec 2020


Share this article


Diego Maradona has been formally honoured by the city of Naples. 

Napoli's San Paolo Stadium has been renamed after the man who captained them to a pair of Scudetti in 1987 and 1990.

The city council voted on Friday to name the ground, the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

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Maradona died of a heart-attack in his native Argentina on November 25.

Naples mayor, Luigi de Magistris initially made the proposal to rename San Paolo shortly after Maradona's passing, and the decision has come two-days before the 61st anniversary of the stadium's opening.

Maradona first stepped out into the concrete bowl of the stadium that now bears his name on July 5, 1984. 75,000 Neapolitans were in attendance just to see him juggle the ball and wave to the crowd following his $10m move from Barcelona.

The diminutive Argentine would help lift the club to never-before known heights. He'd go on to score 115 goals in 259 appearances.

Napoli were crowned Serie A champions in 1987 and 1990, and captured the UEFA Cup with victory over VfB Stuttgart in 1989.

De Magistris' suggestion to rename the stadium was backed by Naples councillor for toponymy Alessandra Clemente and signed by the entire City Council.

The Advisory Commission for City Toponymy had approved the proposal to name the stadium the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

A resolution read, "Maradona embodied the redemption symbol of a team which, in the darkest years, demonstrated that it is possible to get up, win and triumph, while offering a message of hope and beauty to the whole city ​​because, through the football victories of the Argentine champion, it was not only the Napoli team that won, but the whole city, which fully identifies with him.

"Always on the side of the weakest and the common people, Maradona fought the prejudices and discrimination that the Neapolitans were still subjected to inside stadiums, becoming the idol of the entire city, which also forgave him the weaknesses and frailties of man which never overshadowed the greatness of the champion."

Dublin GAA Special | Jason Sherlock & Paul ‘Pillar’ Caffrey


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