One of the hundreds of graffiti in the Spanish Quarter in Naples
From the editorial team
Naples is many things. A city with corners, edges and pride. A city that boils, bubbles, screams - and forgives. If you walk through the streets of Naples, you will realise that it has its own rules. Not just in traffic, but also in the heart. And Diego Armando Maradona lives right in the centre of it all.
Maradona is not a name in Naples. He is a state. You can perhaps walk through the city for ten minutes without hearing his name - but not without seeing him. He looks out from the walls of houses, shines from altars, hangs in bars between pictures of saints and football shirts. He stands as a statue in nativity scenes, on T-shirts, as graffiti.
The beginning of a great love affair
When Maradona moved to SSC Napoli in 1984, Naples was not a city associated with fame. The south of Italy was seen as being left behind, economically disadvantaged and ridden with clichés. Even on the football pitches of the north, Neapolitan players were greeted with abusive posters: "Welcome to Italy".
If anyone is wondering why the love for an Argentinian footballer went so deep here: Maradona also came from the bottom. From a poor background, with dark skin and a name that was not only honoured but also mocked. Naples recognised itself in him. And fell in love.
The Messiah in the blue jersey
The change came with Maradona - and not just in sporting terms. SSC Napoli became Italian champions, won the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup. It was more than just a sporting rise: it was a collective sigh of relief.
For once, Naples was not just the target of ridicule - it was the centre of euphoria. People danced, cried and dreamed in the streets. Families stuck his picture on their fridge doors, baptisms were named after him. Maradona was the man who made the south visible - on the pitch and in people's minds. Maradona's departure from Naples was messy. Drugs, scandals, a fall from grace. But Naples forgave.
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Where you meet him today
Maradona is not a thing of the past in Naples today. He is everywhere. There is a huge mural in the Spanish Quarter - the "Murales Maradona". Beneath it: Candles, jerseys, notes with messages. The Bar Nilo in the historic centre keeps a lock of his hair in a display case.
In the stadium, which was officially renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after his death in 2020, you can sense that there is more going on here than just football. It's about pride, identity, defiance. A feeling that cannot be explained logically. And then there is Via San Gregorio Armeno, where, in addition to traditional nativity figures, miniature Maradonas made of clay are waiting to be used as a substitute for Jesus. It's touching, weird and understandable all at the same time.
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The great comeback as Italian champion
When Napoli finally became Italian champions again in May 2023, it was not just a sporting success. It was a return. A circle that had come full circle - and one that Maradona had travelled with him, at least in spirit. You can't fully understand Napoli without understanding Maradona. And you can't understand Maradona without having experienced Naples.
This city has not only celebrated Maradona: it has internalised him. With all his contradictions. If you're looking for him, you have to look. He is everywhere. On the walls. In the songs. And in the looks on people's faces when they say his name - always a little wistful.
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