Maradona wrong as Napoli show capacity to rival Juventus for Scudetto | Paolo Bandini


Diego Maradona returned to Naples last week and admits he was wrong to write off the Partenopei’s chances of toppling the leaders at the top of Serie A

Diego Maradona was back in Naples last week, swapping his old stomping ground at the Stadio San Paolo for an audience instead at the Teatro di San Carlo opera house. Tickets were priced at a whopping €300, but of course they still sold out. On stage, Maradona acknowledged complaints about the cost, but explained: “they told me Pelé had a similar event, and set his tickets at €200. That guy always has to come second.”

It was precisely this showmanship that caused the city to fall so head-over-heels for Maradona in the first place: his unique blend of arrogance, mischief and mirth. That, plus extraordinary talent. Monday’s event was titled ‘Three Times Ten’ - a riff on the Argentinian’s shirt number and the fact that this year marks the 30th anniversary of him helping Napoli to win their first ever Scudetto.

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