All Napoli players entered with a flocked No.10 jersey named Diego Maradona on Thursday, the day after the club's ex-star died, for their Europa League match against Rijeka, which was preceded with a tribute from their captain Lorenzo Insigne in front of the stadium gates.
Wearing a black armband, they all kept the iconic jersey during the presentation of the teams and the minute of silence, under the eye of the great absentee whose portrait was projected on the giant screen.
INDESCRIBABLE!
¡EL MÁS EMOTIVO HOMENAJE DE NAPOLI IN MARADONA! #EuropaLeaguexFOX Napoles, una ciudad donde Maradona hizo historia.
Una historia que será imborrable.
Y un día después de su muerte, el club italiano le rindió este homenaje pic.twitter.com/IZIEnj6FEE
- FOX Sports MX (@FOXSportsMX) November 26, 2020
Throughout the day, supporters thronged in front of the San Paolo stadium, which could very quickly be renamed to the name of Maradona, as proposed by the mayor of the city on Wednesday.
"I believe it is right to baptize San Paolo with your name to still have you with us", wrote club president Aurelio de Laurentiis on the club's website.
On the gates of the stadium, without delay, a plaque was affixed on Thursday: "Diego Armando Maradona Stadium", with the face of the Argentinian and a signature, that of the tifosi of the famous "Curva B".
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And everywhere blue-white scarves , flowers, portraits of the star and shirts stamped with the N.10 were attached, forming a real wall of memory in memory of the player whose passage during seven seasons (1984-1991) left an indelible mark on the players. Neapolitans, by its successes as its exits from the road.
An hour before kick-off, there were still several hundred singing in front of the stadium.
Other Neapolitans, even more numerous, gathered in the center, piazza del Plebiscito.
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Shortly before the match, the Neapolitan captain Lorenzo Insigne and the historical Napoli storekeeper, Tommaso Starace, left the stadium to join the tributes by laying a wreath at the foot of the gates and meditating, according to a video broadcast on the social networks by the club.
“Maradona means a lot, not just to me but to all Neapolitans.
He always defended us, he always carried us in his heart and we must do the same ”, commented Insigne, at the microphone of Sky Sport.
The Europa League match took place behind closed doors, like all matches in Italy since the start of October due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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