The myth of Maradona: between championships, murals, and secular devotion
In Naples, Maradona is not just a name or a memory: he’s a presence.
He’s an icon, a symbol, an emotional language. His face appears on murals, as a lucky charm on car dashboards, and framed jerseys in delis. Diego has become an urban myth, the secular saint of a city that has always known how to love even what is imperfect.
The championship as collective redemption
When Napoli won its first Serie A title in 1987, the entire city was transformed. It wasn’t just a sports victory—it was a redemption, a liberation, a dream come true. With Diego on the pitch, Naples felt seen, respected, finally in the spotlight. That triumph—followed by the second in 1990—was experienced as an emotional and political consecration: the South defeating the North, the margins becoming the center, beauty overcoming arrogance.
And even after he left, Diego remained in the city’s heart and story. When Napoli won its third title in 2023 and fourth in 2025, his image still waved among the flags, the chants, the tears.
Murals, shrines, tattoos: Diego forever
In the heart of the Spanish Quarters, a ten-meter-tall mural of Diego watches over the alley. Someone is always passing by, stopping, crossing themselves, taking a photo. It’s a place of worship, but also a secular, popular shrine, where scarves, letters, and mementos are left.
But Diego is not just there: he’s everywhere. Painted on walls, printed on T-shirts, sculpted in nativity scenes. Even in restaurants, shops, and bars, his face appears—often next to Saint Gennaro, as if to say: “This city has two saints.”
Why Diego is a myth
- Because he gave a face to the dreams of a people
- Because he played not just to win, but to make an entire city happy
- Because he never judged Naples, and for that, Naples never abandoned him
- Because he brought the incredible into everyday life, like only true myths can
After Diego
With the fourth championship win in 2025, led by Antonio Conte, Naples celebrated itself once again. And in that triumph, he was still there: on balconies, in chants, in shirts with the number 10 stitched over the heart.
Because every victory, every dream come true, is still an echo of his magic.
Maradona is not legend. He’s a living legacy.
A code of belonging.
An energy Naples feels and celebrates every day.
Not because he was perfect, but because he made Neapolitans feel invincible.
