Serie A club Napoli will consider renaming their San Paolo Stadium home in honor of Diego Maradona, after the Argentina icon and former Napoli hero died at the age of 60.
Maradona led Napoli into a golden era in the club’s history when he arrived in southern Italy in 1984, following a turbulent two-year spell in Barcelona.
The Argentine went on to become a legend at the unfancied Italian club as the driving force behind a first Scudetto in 1987, a feat they repeated in 1990.
Maradona also won the 1989 UEFA Cup during his time in Italy, as well as a Coppa Italia in 1987 and Supercoppa Italia in 1990.
The mercurial playmaker left Napoli in 1991 after a series of scandals finally caught up with him, but remains worshipped in the city.
Testament to that was the statement by Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis that the club would consider renaming the stadium in the late icon’s honor.
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis to RMC Info: “We can consider the idea of calling our stadium San Paolo-Diego Armando Maradona”. ??@mohamedbouhafsi 5/7/1984, Diego’s first time at San Paolo.Imagine this stadium with his name.#D10Spic.twitter.com/BepFdfXKWY
It was later reported that the city’s mayor, Luigi De Magistris, had urged the club to go ahead with the step.
Earlier, a Napoli spokesperson had said there was a feeling of shock and numbness at the club at the loss of one of their most beloved adopted sons.
“We are in mourning,” said club official Nicola Lombardo. “We feel like a boxer who has been knocked out. We are in shock.”
Per Sempre ? Ciao Diego pic.twitter.com/LzppqlBqLV
In Napoli, heartbroken fans took to the streets to hold vigils in Maradona’s honor, while UEFA announced there would be a minute’s silence at the next round of Champions League and Europa League matches.
Meanwhile in Naples ?(via @TyCSports)pic.twitter.com/2JjsjfGIa5
Maradona died suddenly at his home in Tigre, just north of Buenos Aires, on Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest.
He had recently been discharged from hospital after undergoing brain surgery to have a blood clot removed.
After the news of his death broke, tributes poured in from the footballing world and far beyond.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Argentina.
