Maradona of Naples

City Journal ^ | 30 Nov 2020 | Steven Malanga

[Rummyfan]

Naples is one of Italy’s poorest cities, with a per capita GDP only half that of northern Italian economic centers like Milan and Turin. Though it was a capital city of three successive empires from the mid-seventh century until the early 1800s, Naples declined after Italian unification in 1861, leading to a great migration of people from the city and surrounding towns to America. Even as many of those immigrants and their children thrived, Naples remained poor, victimized by organized crime and corrupt government and looked down upon by the rest of Italy. For years, some soccer teams in the north would even refuse to sell tickets to fans from the south because they preferred not to have this rougher element in their stadiums.

Still, for all its want, Naples had one thing those teams from the north never did: Diego Maradona. In 1984, SSC Napoli, representing one of Western Europe’s poorest cities, bought the world’s most expensive soccer player, transforming a regional team that had never won an Italian league title into one of the most followed clubs in the world’s most popular sport. Some 75,000 people jammed the Stadio San Paolo on the day Maradona arrived—not to watch him play but simply to get a glimpse of the man with magical feet. Over the next six years, Maradona, who died last week at 60, brought hope, and then triumph, to Naples, helping the team win two Italian titles against rich teams from Milan and Turin, as well as the European club championship. He became a cult figure in the city, his image everywhere, because he brought Naples a kind of attention and respect that it had never enjoyed—and the envy of those in the north. A product of a squalid Buenos Aires barrio ...

[Rummyfan]

The depth of passion in Italy for their local soccer clubs is hard for us to imagine here in The States. Maradona, for all his personal failings, was a true wizard of the sport and for him to lift Napoli over the traditional Serie A powerhouses such as Juventus and Milan, even Roma, was truly a great accomplishment.

[Rummyfan]

Even now, Maradona is sometimes referred to in Naples as Il dio—an expression of how seriously the area takes its soccer. Bereft of much, Naples is a place of religion, where the Cardinal typically shows up at the training camp during preseason to bless the team, and priests end masses during the season with the blessing, Nel nome del padre, del figlio, dello spirito santo, e forza Napoli! Not surprisingly, the city has decided to rename its Stadio San Paolo after Maradona, swapping one figure of devotion for another.

[Rummyfan]

...Maradona, like many great sports figures, was a flawed man. He consorted with mobsters, became addicted to cocaine, and could be a difficult friend, father, and husband. In an age before professional sports teams employed security personnel to protect their players, this kid from the barrio blundered his way through life everywhere—except on the field. Why we celebrate figures like this, even in an age of cancel culture, is best expressed by an Argentinian journalist who said of Maradona, “What do I care about what Diego did with his life? I care what he did with mine.”

[antidemoncrat]

“Naples is one of Italy’s poorest cities,”

It was that way in the early sixties when I visited it.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

I’m a huge football (soccer) fan. Most people in America wouldn’t understand. Guess that has to do with my background and upbringing in the sport.

I saw Maradona play live on TV in Mexico 86’. I was in Mexico when that World Cup happened - so it was an amazing time.

The hand of ‘god’ and all his incredible solo goal against England, which one can never watch enough of is the stuff of legends.

That said, I will never understand why the Argentine people idolize such a vile little troll like him. His life was literally thrown away with drugs, womanizing, and stupidity.

Honestly, I can’t believe he lived to the age he did. I saw him coaching Argentina in 2010 and the dude could barely walk back then.

[Rummyfan]

I lived in Italy for nine years. I never visited Naples.

Italy is really several countries. And the further south you get from Rome, the poorer it gets.

[Trinity5]

I have been traveling Italy for the past year and half and will be moving to Northern Italy next January. Naples is the roughest town by far. I’ve grown to despise it after my vehicle was broken into and all my luggage stolen in broad daylight... Lol! Now I don’t even bother to stay overnight there, just get in and visit my customers and get out...

And yes the further south you go it gets pretty bad. But I do love the country overall.

[Rummyfan]

And yes the further south you go it gets pretty bad. But I do love the country overall.

I lived in Sicily. I had the occasional brush with petty crime but was fortunate over all. It was / is poor, but I did love it. Would still be there if my job had'nt finished.

[AZJeep]

Naples is the worst of Italy. Kind on the border between Mafia ruled South and government ruled North. Nobody is in charge over there! Huge city, full of crime and dysfunction. People in Rome (not exactly safe and clean place either) warned us not to go to Naples. We disregarded their warnings to our fault. My son was robbed there.
Dirtiest place I have ever been. I went for morning stroll through the city and it turned out to be a slalom among dog shit! Really hard to find a clear place for your feet to step on. Nowhere in the world I was in more shitty place! Do not go there!

[Trailerpark Badass]

I watched a HBO show about Maradona in Naples. I thought it was funny the other cities would have signs saying the Naples fans were sick from cholera.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

My dream is to go to Italy - the Campania & Calabrian regions specifically for all of the awesome history they have.

Sounds like I’d be majorly disappointed with the dysfunction in those areas. I hate that!

[Trinity5]

Yes, the harbor area is nice... Two blocks in mountains of trash. My Navy customers tell me that the Mafia owns the garbage contract and literally doesn’t ever pick it up and no one in the government questions it. Not sure if true but certainly sounds plausible...

[Trinity5]

I definitely enjoy Sicily. But very poor. I travel the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe and we as Americans could not understand the the poverty of certain areas of Europe.

[daltec]

You may wish to add Molise to your list. Just over the mountains from Campania, but you may as well be in another country. Even many Italians do not visit Molise, and I have no idea why.

Pre-Roman ruins, home to some of the oldest companies in the world, you can be snow skiing and an hour later be sunning yourself on the beach, stunning scenery, ghost towns, tiny villages perched on mountain tops like something out of a movie, towns continually inhabited for nearly 3000 years, and all in one of the least densely populated areas in the country.

[Rummyfan]

I had a Danish friend come down to visit in Sicily once and while out touring we stopped in some little podunk town, she said ‘are we still in Europe?’ Big difference form Scandinavia to Southern Europe / the Med. And as poor as Sicily is, they still had lot of immigrants from Poland / Romania / Slovakia, as well as North Africa. So I can imagine how poor those places are.

But I was in Prague earlier this year - before the virus breakout - and it is a wonderful modern clean vibrant city.

[Rummyfan]

In Naples it’s the Camorra, not the Mafia (the Mafia being Sicilian in origin) , a distinction that really doesn’t make a difference to outsiders. In Calabria the organized crime is the Ndragheta.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Thanks for the tip!
I’ll have to check that out.

[Trinity5]

Yes major issue with African “immigrants” in Italy.

And I went to Prague this year also and loved it. Planned to return in October but their COVID shutdown prevented it.