Italian Serie A club, Napoli, will honor late Diego Maradona with a new kit when they play at home against Roma tonight, November 29, at 20:45. The match which will be played at Stadio San Paolo is the first Serie A match Napoli will play since their football icon passed away.
Maradona died on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, about two weeks after he survived a brain surgery to remove blood clots. He died of heart failure a few weeks after his 60th birthday.
Before he retired from football, Maradona played for Napoli between 1982 and 1991, scoring over 81 goals in 188 appearances. He captained Napoli to two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, one UEFA Cup, one Supercoppa Italiana. He was instrumental in Napoli’s double title-winning team of the 1986-1987 season.
“He was the first to convey that will to win” (Luigi Caffarelli)
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) November 27, 2020
Diego 💙pic.twitter.com/I5PFeBfXLG
Though he left the club in 1991 due to his drug addiction and other negative traits, he is regarded as the biggest star the club has ever owned. Maradona’s ill-fated relationship with the Italian government due to tax issues has not stopped Napoli to celebrate him as much as they could when he was alive and in death.
When the club played a Europa League match a day after he passed away, they did a special tribute in honor of Maradona. They all wore jerseys with his name and the number 10 written on it.
Besides that, there have been talks about the Stadio San Paolo being named after him in honor of the historical time he had at the club.
The new kit Napoli will wear against Roma tonight is made of the club’s traditional sky blue. According to a statement from the club and the manufacturers of the sportswear Koppa, the plan to unveil the jersey tonight in honor of Maradona has been on even before the death of the Argentine football icon.
“A year ago, together with Kappa, we thought of designing a special jersey that echoes Diego Maradona, his beloved Argentina, and the close-knit bond with the people of Naples,” the club said in a joint statement with kit manufacturer Kappa.
“We hoped that Diego would be able to see it, perhaps even wear it and share in our excitement about it.
“It was agreed that the new kit would be unveiled on matchday nine of the Serie A campaign, during the match between SSC Napoli and Roma.
“The Kombat jersey that the players will don tonight will have an even greater significance than initially intended.”
As at the time of publishing this report, Napoli was yet to officially release images of the new kit.
SSC Napoli & Kappa Statement on the fourth Kombat kit
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) November 29, 2020
👉 https://t.co/mHrohpCtZC#SSCNapoli & #KappaSport pic.twitter.com/oxRZcG4ny7
The club is currently occupying the 8th spot on the league table after 5 wins and 3 defeats in 8 league games. A win against Roma tonight could take them as far as the 6th spot on the league table with 17 points.
