Maradona and Naples
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Diego Armando Maradona joined Napoli in the summer of 1984. The club had never been champion of Italy. In seven seasons he led it to its first two league titles, in 1987 and 1990, plus a Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup and an Italian Supercup. For a southern city that had never won the league, that record turned a footballer into something closer to a patron saint.
You still see him everywhere: on the mural at Largo Maradona, on shrines and souvenir stalls, and on the stadium, renamed for him in December 2020. This page tells the story in dates, then where to find him in 2026, when both the mural's square and the stadium have new rules.
At a glance
- Arrived
- Presented at the San Paolo stadium on July 5, 1984, in front of a crowd Sky Sport puts at about 80,000.
- Won with Napoli
- Serie A in 1986–87 and 1989–90, the Coppa Italia in 1986–87, the UEFA Cup in 1989 and the Supercoppa in 1990.
- Left
- After a positive test for cocaine following Napoli v Bari on March 17, 1991.
- Died
- November 25, 2020, in Tigre, near Buenos Aires, aged 60.
- Stadium
- The San Paolo became the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona by a unanimous city resolution on December 4, 2020.
- Largo Maradona
- Free. Closed for works from May 2026; the restored 1990 mural was uncovered again in early September 2026.
In this guide
July 5, 1984: the presentation
Maradona was presented at the San Paolo stadium on July 5, 1984. Sky Sport's history of his Napoli years puts the crowd at about 80,000. It was a crowd for a signing, before he had played a minute in the shirt.
The titles came from his third season:
- 1986–87: Serie A and the Coppa Italia, the first league title in the club's history.
- 1987–88: Serie A top scorer with 15 goals.
- 1989: the UEFA Cup.
- 1989–90: a second Serie A title, followed by the Italian Supercup in 1990.
The mural at Largo Maradona dates from the second title. Mario Filardi, a 23-year-old from the Quartieri Spagnoli, painted it on a wall there in 1990.
July 3, 1990: the night the city split
The 1990 World Cup was played in Italy, and the semi-final between Italy and Argentina was drawn for Naples. On July 3, 1990, at the San Paolo, it finished 1–1 after extra time, Schillaci scoring for Italy and Caniggia for Argentina. Argentina won on penalties.
Neapolitans were torn between the national team and their own captain. Goal's account of the match describes fans pulled both ways; a Neapolitan writing in Il Fatto Quotidiano on the 30th anniversary called the city "divided" that night.
1991: how it ended
The Naples years ended badly. After Napoli beat Bari on March 17, 1991, Maradona tested positive for cocaine, and his Italian career was over.
He died on November 25, 2020, in Tigre, in the province of Buenos Aires, at 60. Within days the city moved. On December 4, 2020, Naples' executive, on a proposal from mayor Luigi de Magistris, voted unanimously to rename the San Paolo the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The resolution credits him with seven years at the club and "the two scudetti of history".
Napoli have since won the league twice more, in 2023 and again on May 23, 2025, their fourth title.
Largo Maradona in 2026: redesigned and private
The shrine grew up around Filardi's mural at the corner of Via Emanuele De Deo and Vico Concordia, in a former car park of about 197 m² that is private property. Local authorities estimated that some six million people visited the Quartieri Spagnoli in 2023, largely because of it. After a police raid on unlicensed stalls in October 2025 and weeks of protest, the Comune approved a redesign on January 29, 2026: lava-stone paving, benches, pergolas and removable kiosks, run by the owners and regulated "like the city's public parks".
The square closed for works in May 2026. The mural was restored in August and uncovered again in early September 2026. A plaque now says it is private property, and no opening hours had been published when we checked on September 30, 2026. Go early in the morning, keep your phone in a front pocket in the crush, and remember people live in the building. Our Quartieri Spagnoli walk puts it in the context of the neighborhood.
Going to a match at the Maradona
A home game is the other way to understand what he means here. The facts for autumn 2026, from the club:
- Prices: for Napoli v Frosinone on October 10, 2026, the lower curve cost €20 and the upper curve €35 in open sale.
- Named tickets: buy only through the club's official channels, take ID, and show the ticket in your phone wallet, not as a screenshot. Single tickets cannot change name.
- No season tickets: the 2026/27 season tickets sold out on August 11, 2026.
- Getting there: metro Line 2 to Campi Flegrei or the Cumana railway to Mostra. The last Cumana trains leave Mostra at 10:37 and 10:54 p.m.
Our page on tickets for Napoli at the Maradona walks through the sale phases and the seats.
A word on respect
For many Neapolitans this is not nostalgia. The corner around the mural has grown into a shrine, with photos, scarves and stalls, and it sits in a street where people live. Take your photo, buy a scarf from a kiosk rather than someone who follows you, and move on. The Quartieri Spagnoli is a residential neighborhood first; our safety page puts its reputation in proportion.
Tickets and tours you can book
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
When did Maradona play for Napoli?
From 1984 to 1991. He was presented on July 5, 1984, and his last months ended after a positive test for cocaine following Napoli v Bari on March 17, 1991.
What did Maradona win with Napoli?
Two Serie A titles (1986–87 and 1989–90), the Coppa Italia (1986–87), the UEFA Cup (1989) and the Italian Supercup (1990). They were the club's first league titles.
When was the stadium renamed after Maradona?
On December 4, 2020, nine days after his death, when the city's executive voted unanimously to rename the Stadio San Paolo the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Is Largo Maradona open?
It reopened in early September 2026 after works that began in May, with the mural restored. It is free, but it is private property run under an agreement with the city, and no opening hours had been published on September 30, 2026.
Who painted the Maradona mural in the Quartieri Spagnoli?
Mario Filardi, a 23-year-old local artist, in 1990, to celebrate Napoli's second league title. He died in 2010. The mural was restored in August 2026.
Further reading
Official sources
- Sky Sport - Maradona e il Napoli, una storia piena di successi (November 25, 2020) – Presentation July 5, 1984 with about 80,000 people; titles 1986–87, 1989–90, Coppa Italia, UEFA Cup 1989, Supercoppa 1990; top scorer 1987–88 with 15; positive test after Napoli-Bari on March 17, 1991
- Britannica - Diego Maradona – Died November 25, 2020, Tigre, Buenos Aires
- Calcio e Finanza - Ufficiale, il San Paolo diventa Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (December 4, 2020) – Unanimous giunta resolution on the mayor's proposal; wording on seven years and the two scudetti
- AGI - Napoli, il San Paolo diventa stadio Maradona (December 4, 2020) – Renaming formalised by the city executive under mayor de Magistris
- Goal - Italia-Argentina 1990 – July 3, 1990 in Naples, 1–1 after extra time (Schillaci, Caniggia), Argentina won on penalties; fans torn
- Il Fatto Quotidiano - Italia 90, 30 anni dopo (July 3, 2020) – A Neapolitan's account of the divided city on the night of the semi-final
- Il Post - Il Napoli ha vinto la Serie A (May 23, 2025) – Fourth scudetto after 1987, 1990 and 2023
- Comune di Napoli - Largo Maradona, Comune approva il progetto (official, January 29, 2026) – About 197 m2 private area; redesign; managed by the owners; regulated like public parks
- Wanted in Rome (January 31, 2026) and Blue News / dpa (November 2025) – Mario Filardi, 23, painted the mural in 1990 and died in 2010; October 2025 raid; local authorities' estimate of about six million visitors to the Quartieri Spagnoli in 2023
- SiViaggia (August 25, 2026); Il Mattino (September 4, 2026); Fanpage (September 3, 2026) – Closure from May 2026; mural restored in August; uncovered early September; private-property plaque
- SSC Napoli - tickets for Napoli v Frosinone and Napoli v Bodø/Glimt (official, September 23, 2026) – Curve inferiori €20, curve superiori €35; named tickets, phone wallet, ID; checked September 30, 2026
- SSC Napoli - season tickets sold out (official, August 11, 2026) – 2026/27 season tickets sold out
- EAV - Cumana timetable from September 11, 2026 (official) – Last departures from Mostra 22:37 and 22:54
