More than 15,000 people gathered on the night of July 5, 2017 in the Plaza del Plebiscito, the nerve center of Naples, to celebrate the award of honorary citizenship to Diego Armando Maradona. “I am and will always be Neapolitan,” shouted the Golden Kid from the stage, thus starting a party that, in the purest style of the Argentine, did not end until the first rays of sunshine go il · Illuminate Vesuvius.
The news of his death froze a city devastated by the coronavirus and now, moreover, orphaned by its last king. That night three years ago, Maradona was accompanied by all the comrades of that mythical Naples that gave the city two Scudettos -in 1987 and 1990- and a thousand nights of glory: Francesco Romano, Bruno Giordano, Ciro Ferrara. .. and even the historic masseuse Carmando.
This Tuesday, contacted by the Italian media, none of them could believe the sad ending of the Argentine idol. “Naples loses a son. Today is world mourning day,” said Giuseppe Bruscolotti, the captain who gave up the bracelet at 10 after winning the first league title in history blue. In the middle of the afternoon, hundreds of people gathered in the streets of the Spanish Quarter of Naples to remember the footballer in front of one of his murals.
“Maradona was one more of the family, a legend. For me, football is dead,” a middle-aged man said almost in tears on Italian television. “We thought he was immortal,” said another beside him. The city council has declared an official day of mourning. Naples, the club where he made history between 1984 and 1991, fired the Argentine on Twitter with a “Forever, ciao Diego “and illuminated the San Paolo stadium, which in the coming days will be renamed in honor of Maradona.
Maradona’s life in 10 moments
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