Happy birthday Diego Armando Maradona! Today, October 30th, we would have celebrated the 63rd birthday of Pibe de Oro. This date is a special memory for all Napoli fans and for all those who followed his career and his life, a tumult of emotions.
Happy birthday Diego Armando Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is universally recognized as one of the greatest footballers of all time. In his seven years spent with the Napoli Calcio, has become a legend loved by Neapolitans.
The love story between Maradona and Napoli begins with his sensational arrival on July 5 1984 and continues until his emotional farewell to San Paolo in 1991. During these golden years, the Napoli he won an incredible haul of trophies, including 2 league titles, an Italian Cup, an Italian Super Cup and a UEFA Cup. A series of successes that cemented his legend in football and in the hearts of fans.
In 1984, he arrived in Naples after long and complex negotiations, resulting in one of the most fascinating stories in world football. His Neapolitan adventure it lasted seven years. Seven years marked by extraordinary triumphs and national and international successes, including victory at the 1986 World Championship. But everything came to a sudden halt in March 1991, when he was found positive in an anti-doping test.
Lights and shadows
Maradona's life was a path marked by lights and shadows. He fought against it drug addiction problems and he often suffered the media exploits of individuals who gravitated around him.
After a suspension of a year and a half, Maradona continued his career with Sevilla, before returning to Argentina to play for Newell's Old Boys and Boca Juniors, retiring definitively in 1997. On 25 November 2020 he died due to of pulmonary edema.
His death was a devastating blow to both the Argentines and the Neapolitans.
After his passing, Maradona's legend continues to shine throughout the world. In Naples he is still a venerated icon today. Walking through the alleys of the city, in fact, it is possible to discover numerous monuments dedicated to him. One of the best known is the small altar inside the Bar Nilo in the square of the same name, born as a joke and inspired by traditional votive shrines. In addition to the photo of the footballer, the altar even contains an unusual relic: his hair!
Naples as a pilgrimage destination for tourists and enthusiasts
In the Quartieri Spagnoli, it is possible to admire one of the two murals dedicated to Maradona. The first is located in Via Emanuele De Deo, near Piazzetta Maradona, and was painted on a six-storey building in 1990, on the occasion of the victory of the second scudetto. The young artist Mario Filardi is the author, and in 2016 the mural was restored. The other large mural is located in Via Taverna del Ferro in San Giovanni a Teduccio and was created in 2017 by the artist Jorit Agoch on the walls of public housing. The work was jointly financed by Marek Hamsik, former Napoli captain, and various associations.
These examples demonstrate how Maradona is considered a sort of lay saint in Naples, an immortal icon that strengthens the bond between the city and football. Even far from the Neapolitan city, Diego, during his life, never forgot the time spent in Naples, continuing to cheer for the team thousands of kilometers away. His influence is a real cult, which enriches the cultural heritage of the Neapolitans in a unique and unparalleled way.
