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I'm unlucky, I was born in '89.

When did it happen?

- In '58? '59? - No, dad.

June 30, 1984 was an epic day.

We were all galvanized,

as if we were all trying to achieve a goal together.

It kills me that I can't go back and experience those things again.

I'm 43 and I still get goosebumps talking about it.

Yes, I still feel it. See? I get goosebumps.

You know when you're a kid and mom tells you Santa is coming?

And you stand there with your mouth agape?

Something major happened, we'd never seen anything like it.

I got home from work and saw people talking...

- I'd left the seminary. - I was at the Mayor's office.

- I was in my bedroom watching TV. - I was 9, I was at home playing.

- I was 50 then. - In '84 I was 6 or 7.

- We were eating out... - My dad came toward me...

While waiters were serving and people walked by...

There were local TV channels updating us,

saying the deal would fall through.

Is he going to come or not?

Was it known or not? Was he coming or not?

Did they sign him?

- Will they buy him? - We were all on edge.

The news broke, we had no idea what happened.

Well, there was like an insurrection.

Something incredible and unparalleled was happening.

Something that seemed like a dream.

It was like a shock for me.

MARADONAPLES

I saw it on a local channel. The title said: Maradona in Naples.

I still have the newspaper: "Diego in Naples".

It read: "Maradona in Naples".

He was a son of Naples before he even got here.

That's how I felt inside, even on a physical level.

It was like when the Americans showed up during the war.

Like a liberator, someone who shows up and says: "Let's do it".

The Naples soccer team had been waiting 60 years.

It was amazing.

Wild excitement broke out,

making us feel like our time had finally come.

People from all walks of life dance and sang together.

- Is he ours? - Did we buy Maradona then?

Yes, we got Maradona!

- Diego! Diego! - Maradona belongs to Naples.

Buying the greatest player in the world...

- We bought a beast. - It was surreal.

Naples erupted.

On Barcelona's team winning was all that mattered,

being something didn't matter.

Nobody imagined that the greatest soccer player of all time

would've gone to play for a team that had never won anything.

Naples wanted to redeem itself, and he was the way to do that.

Why would Maradona leave Barcelona for Naples?

We later understood why.

Naples couldn't acquire Maradona because the time limit was up,

because negotiations were so long and troubled,

fights even broke out at the Barcelona team headquarters.

I have visual memories of newspaper clips.

A shrewd stroke of genius by Corrado Ferlaino,

the great president...

He got to Milan after the cut-off date.

He didn't have a contract yet!

He bribed the doorman of the Soccer League HQ in Milan

and registered an envelope with no contract in it.

- He registered a blank paper... - I brought it two days later.

A ruse facilitated ironically by a Neapolitan worker.

Otherwise this never would've happened!

Buying a soccer player for 13 billion.

They didn't know how to get the money:

one billion from the Bank of Naples, one from another...

It was like a wild card, a gamble...

People still wonder

why on earth he came to play for this city.

So he'll always be an idol, a legend.

He found Mother Naples ready to welcome him and raise him.

Naples raised him well and he appreciated it.

A legend is something that belongs to southerners, it's our reality.

We need a legend,

we need someone who could liberate us from the reality

which caused us to be labelled as "The South".

I think his presence really influenced what we call Naples' revival.

Here you go, ma'am. His Majesty Maradona.

Our brother!

Maradona's arrival is linked to a phrase my father repeated to me.

He said: "1984 was a great for two reasons,

for Maradona's arrival and your birth".

I was in second place,

that's how much his arrival meant to them.

It was announced on June 30th,

on July 5th he entered the stadium with a plain white shirt,

dribbled the ball, then tossed it into the crowd.

It was a triumphant entrance, like a King's.

San Paolo stadium was in an uproar.

- It was like... - I don't recall...

It was wild. Really.

The stadium was packed.

Not an empty seat... to see what? We didn't even know.

There were tons of people...

It wasn't a game, it was just a person...

We went there. There was so much joy and enthusiasm.

I never saw San Paolo stadium like that before or after Maradona.

There wasn't an empty space or seat.

Unfathomable, with one kick or pass, this one person

created and aroused such incredible emotions. Never before!

That time I think the stadium was 20,000 people over capacity.

- I was among those 60,000. - 65,000 people.

70,000-80,000 people.

90,000 were there waiting for Maradona.

Tons of people. Nearly 100,000 people.

- Brimming. - I can't say...

It was like an earthquake.

When he stepped onto the field he saw the people's joy.

The most authentic, sincere, and natural

triumphal entrance Naples had ever witnessed.

We felt like winners all of the time.

It was that spark we'd been missing for years.

Even if I was small, I knew something major was happening.

That this person could do something great for us.

He did something we Neapolitans love:

he put on a show.

Even people who didn't care for soccer loved the show he put on.

He was, in a way, a man of hopes.

Diego!

Naples, with its contradictions and intense emotions

is similar to Argentina.

And so, Maradona couldn't have found a better place

to express himself and his personality.

He always acted like and felt like someone from Naples.

Not an idol, but one of us.

He's a figure from Naples, he has no nationality.

His origins, his need to rise up...

He's a man of the people.

It's as if we were brothers.

As if the city were his.

Because he loved being here in Naples.

He helped people too, he gave everyone a hand.

Maradona is a family member for Neapolitans.

Maradona got to know Naples and Neapolitans

and they fueled his strength.

Maradona quickly defined himself as Neapolitan.

Maradona is a Neapolitan who was born abroad.

They made me feel like one of them.

I really loved being there,

more than in Barcelona.

People here are more affectionate.

Their way of approaching...

always joking around,

it's similar to how Argentineans are.

Argentineans joke around a lot like Neapolitans.

And this man showed up, he was no college professor,

just a man of the people.

He understood us and was understood by us.

He was on the same wavelength as us from the start.

And Neapolitans picked up on this.

This empathy, this chemistry between him and the city was unique.

It wouldn't have happened elsewhere.

Like a wine and food expert.

He was an expert on people's genuineness, and he got us.

Maradona was great because he identified with the poor,

he himself came from nothing.

He came from a bad neighborhood,

Naples doesn't even have neighborhoods that bad.

He was like Neapolitans,

people like me who came from rough neighborhoods.

He encouraged us to think we could rise up too.

Even those who come from nothing can rise up.

He gave us the opportunity to say: "Here we are.

This South exists."

He gave us hope.

How can you not love someone like that?

Soccer aside, with his conviction

he'd say: "We can beat Juventus, we can".

We could do anything.

He really touched our hearts.

For Neapolitans it was like our payback, especially for the poor.

Like reparations.

Feeling important and noticed.

For many, Maradona was the only treasure.

Watching him play, dribble,

and fight for those people.

He became a part of our lives.

He embodied the typical Neapolitan street urchin.

He was one of us.

What he had going for him was wanting to express

something the city couldn't express.

He was like our spokesperson.

An international figure

who calls himself Neapolitan and fights for the city,

because he fought for the city...

Often he didn't talk about soccer, but about the team as a social entity.

This is why Diego was so great.

He was more attached to the people than to power.

And in a city like Naples, this was devastating, media-wise.

He created a legend.

Maradona unwittingly carried out the role of the people's captain.

He was the leader Naples needed in that moment.

"The fans' enthusiasm moved me"

"He ran around the field, dribbled, and blew kisses"

I think it was a special historic moment for the city too.

3 or 4 years had gone by since the 1980 earthquake.

Yet another catastrophe that could've buried this city

which never manages to resurface.

In bringing Maradona to Naples...

I don't know why Ferlaino did it, it was sports-related...

but undoubtedly, it was like giving

the city an anesthetic, so to speak.

We were all happier.

Maybe that's what soccer gives us...

in this city. Truly.

I never saw tension at the stadium, and I went for many years.

There's tension now, but not before.

Maradona changed us

because before, as you know, Neapolitans...

If you sit down, play a game of cards and lose...

then you play again and lose, you start to get agitated.

When Maradona wasn't here, we'd lose. We were different.

We played away and lost, we played at home and lost.

Then his Majesty showed up and we started winning.

And we became better people.

This is the change that Maradona brought about.

He gave bread to a city that had none.

Naples was in bad shape, to be honest.

Then he shows up.

This guy was praised as the greatest soccer player,

people were fascinated, they saw something they'd never seen.

Naples is important.

We forgot about the earthquake, the poverty, we forgot it all.

Thanks to him.

When you thought about Maradona your troubles vanished.

It's no joke! That's how it was.

The Lord of Naples. Amazing.

Well, many people became passionate about the sport.

Thanks to him.

He managed to touch a whole city through sports. It's a sports miracle!

Maradona took us to a new level.

In terms of soccer, humanity, and civility.

He changed everything. I don't know how but he's a genius.

A sports genius who changed history

and made Naples the capital of the world in that instant.

He represented a bright future.

Thanks to his feats, we even managed to challenge Juventus,

the wealthy North.

It always comes back to the "southern" issue,

the sense of inferiority that we unjustly accept.

In those years, thanks to soccer,

we weren't inferior, on the field or mentally.

We never were culturally, never.

This city was founded thousands of years before Christ.

This city had everything and more.

This city gave so much in many ways.

This is a city with inventiveness...

This inventiveness certainly didn't vanish with Maradona's arrival.

Maradona had a manager, his longtime friend, Cyterszpiler,

this chubby man with curly hair who limped.

From day one, he rented

a 6,000 ft' huge office to house the famous "Maradona Production".

But Maradona Production already existed here.

His merchandise was all over Naples already.

Neapolitans say: Who's a superstar? John Doe?

Anything linked to John Doe gives me a chance,

offers me opportunities and business, as the Americans say.

That famous song "Maradona's better than Pelé" by Campassi.

They created masks, they created shirts.

They were selling his shirts before Maradona even put one on.

A simple shirt.

A cheap t-shirt because it wasn't profit-oriented.

It was born from the enthusiasm

to spread Maradona's image as much as possible through Naples.

I confess:

I, Ciro Cefariello, bought surplus t-shirts,

printed Maradona's face on them, and sold them for 2,000 lira

and was able to feed my family since work was scarce.

Everyone made money from it.

People sold Maradona trinkets. It was a thriving business.

Back then, if you made a Maradona sock,

or a Maradona thimble, you'd be sure to sell it.

A black market of Maradona goods sprung up,

and it was ingenious...

Everything and anything existed: books, magazines...

Videos, balls, shirts.

- Pennants. - Hats.

- Cups. - Flags.

- Posters. - Nativity figurines.

- Spoons. - Photos.

- Perms to look like Maradona. - Wigs.

Like he said, wigs...

In Naples, Halloween was like Diego Day.

All sorts of swag, he's in our hearts.

My dad bought anything that was Maradona-themed.

Maradona holy water is miraculous.

Everything and anything.

There wasn't enough money. But these things still sold.

Any item Maradona Production might've created was already being sold.

They gave up the rental office after 15 days, realizing it was futile.

Everyone made something.

I made Maradona pizza, someone else had another gimmick.

Because Maradona gave us hope and courage.

He was my everything,

he gave me so much, even financially through his persona.

He never complained about us

or what we did using his name and image.

The best, for me he's number one.

For all Neapolitans.

He could've called the police, IRS, launched investigations.

But he never caused us any grief.

We even made slippers with Diego's face,

a pair cost us 1,000 lira, we sold them for 5,000 lira.

His face was printed on beach shirts and flips flops.

For me, he's the greatest man who ever existed.

He became an icon because Maradona swag still sells.

Maradona is sellable, anything Maradona sells.

Stickers, Boca Juniors and Argentina key chains, Naples team shirts.

We created a 10-ingredient dessert.

There's a caramelized rum-soaked cake inside.

Ten ingredients to represent the number ten.

A dessert for Diego.

I bought it immediately because he's an indelible memory.

So I want it by my side forever.

This is a Diego postcard that I give to my clients.

For me, this is my favorite Maradona image,

it's his essence.

We have cups, scarves, see?

Pillows, flags.

He brought us money, joy, happiness, everything.

He was our inspiration.

This is a topic that... you know...

People are making money off of it.

I don't like when people do that.

What I said to the Neapolitans was:

I want the working-class to survive, if they do it I don't mind,

but I don't want some billionaire getting richer off of Maradona.

I won't stand for that so he'd better come see Maradona.

But average people in Naples who...

- Scrape by. - Yes, that's the right term...

Who do this to scrape by, I like that.

It makes me proud that Maradona is helping out too.

For me, Maradona is like Che Guevara or Bob Marley.

You buy souvenirs of them in their countries.

You come to Naples and buy Maradona shirts.

Or what's the point of coming to Naples?

Quit lying!

You don't like codfish?

Maradona, like Neapolitans,

places being Neapolitan before being Italian.

Maradona never said he felt Italian, he said he felt Neapolitan.

There's a big difference.

During that famous Italy-Argentina World Cup Game,

Neapolitans could not betray their deity,

so they booed Italy and rooted for Argentina.

He said:

"Thanks to this game you remember Naples and Neapolitans,

but after and before this game, they were neglected".

Indeed, correct!

Because Italians remember things like this...

They play patriotic when it's convenient.

Maradona said that because Neapolitans say that.

He was the first to say it in public.

We've always thought it.

And they always remind us in the stadium on Sundays,

they remind us that they're not Neapolitans.

Should we say we're not Italians?

We're Italians from Naples, it's different.

I am Neapolitan. Period.

I won't lie, I rooted for Argentina.

- I admit I rooted for Argentina. - Of course.

Truth be told, all Neapolitans rooted for Argentina.

I know it was wrong, it was.

But we were so fond of him that we stuck with him.

When the World Cup started and they burned the Argentine flag,

that hurt him and it hurt us Neapolitans too.

You know?

I watched the game with Argentineans.

I watched it with Argentineans and celebrated with them.

So did many others.

So did I.

When Caniggia scored a goal, I waved the Argentine flag outside.

Back then we felt more Argentinean than Italian.

All Neapolitans everywhere rooted for Maradona and Argentina.

When they played the Argentine national anthem,

Rome's stadium booed and Maradona cried, it was awful.

After they did that, I stopped being interested in Italy.

Because those boos weren't just for Maradona but for Naples.

Because we're considered the rotten section of Italy,

and I will remember that forever.

So will many others.

I think they rooted for Argentina out of protest.

When Italy wins the World Cup, Italians root for Italy.

Some people did it but won't admit it.

I don't think we rooted for Argentina.

But our hearts were torn, because after Italy, Argentina

was the team we wanted to win the World Cup.

Want the truth?

I rooted... for Maradona.

Honestly, I rooted for Maradona.

As a Neapolitan, I rooted for Maradona.

Not Argentina. Maradona.

Our friend here is getting a 10 tattoo

with the word "Dios" in honor of Maradona.

This will always remain.

Going anywhere near that number is a huge responsibility.

He owns that number.

Like I said, it's been 30 years...

no other soccer player had an impact like this.

My love for Maradona grows exponentially.

He's more than a family member, he's my great love.

That's why I wanted a Maradona tattoo,

a tattoo of Maradona that said:

"Never forget your love."

But if I went home with this tattoo on my arm...

I was about to get married, my future wife would've killed me.

So after the Maradona tattoo, I got my wife's name tattooed on me.

But Maradona came first. Luckily my wife took it well.

It's not about profit,

but I've done lots of Maradona and Maradona-themed tattoos.

Not as many as before,

but in a year I probably do about 20.

Maradona took possession of the number 10,

meaning nowadays, that number

became such a heavy legacy for whoever came after him.

So it's like his patrimony, his trademark.

We'll forever associate the number 10 with Maradona.

In our restaurant,

after table 9 and before table 11, there's the Maradona table.

That number is no longer a mere number,

it's become a Kabbalah number, a lotto number.

No Naples soccer player would dare wear that number again,

the team retired that shirt forever.

Only he could wear it, it mustn't be desecrated.

I still wear the Buitoni sponsored number 10 shirt to bed.

Because Maradona is a dream!

Diego's shirt is one-of-a-kind.

There is no other...

I think this shirt changed the history of the soccer.

It's the shirt he actually wore.

Buitoni was the sponsor then, but not anymore.

The technical sponsor.

The Italy Cup logo, the Naples logo.

This shirt was worn by Maradona

on September 13, 1987 for Cesena-Naples 1-0.

The best part of this shirt, needless to say: is this patch.

I'd pay anything for the shirt he wore when we won the Italy Cup in Bergamo.

That white striped shirt. I haven't found it yet.

I had a few Maradona mementos.

I had this object that verged on being kitschy,

a flowerpot of his head, typical Caltagirone-style ceramics.

That object represented him and his surreal streak.

It was a highly collectable object.

I'm very attached to Maradona's armband.

Captain armband.

This embodies his whole story.

This C is more than enough.

This is Maradona, Maradona's 7 years.

Maradona causes you to lose your rationality and common sense.

Back then I was doing my research doctorate,

in the Anglo-Saxon academic world it's called PhD.

I wanted to leave this city and follow my classmates

up north to work for some big company.

I'm an electronic engineer.

But life hands you opportunities.

This PhD came up.

And I implored the professor I'd be working with

to let me go abroad for a year.

So in September '85, after Maradona's first year in Naples,

which wasn't the best of years,

I went to my first conference to make a presentation.

First in Tokyo and then to Atlanta

for a year at the Georgia Institute of technology, Georgia Tech.

Since they liked my work, after the PhD, they offered me

a job as assistant professor.

I was tempted to say yes but I had a good feeling,

meaning, that year the Naples team had a good run.

Some other players joined the team.

Essentially, I passed up the offer

to teach at Georgia Tech

because I wanted to be in Naples while Maradona was here.

So I bought season tickets and Naples won the championship.

So my choice paid off.

Back then you planned your life

around the soccer championship schedule.

Games were at 2:30 PM, period.

Who would've ever thought

7-8 months before my son's First Communion

that Naples would be in the Italy Cup final with Atalanta?

It was cruel!

What could I do? Relatives, friends, acquaintances were there,

I looked at my brothers, we had tickets in our pocket.

So we grabbed the kid in his robe and ran off.

Naples-Atalanta 3-0.

We got into real trouble for taking off with the guest of honor.

Just for 3 hours, the party carried on anyway.

In my family, my father

almost had a heart attack when Naples lost.

We actually went to the ER.

Not just once, but twice.

One day, my father was in the hospital

and I sent my 10-year-old daughter to be with him

so I could go to the stadium.

Ending up in the hospital because Naples lost...

The doctor asked: "What happened?"

My dad said: "Naples lost,

I was already feeling ill during the first half".

My mom took me to my aunt's 'm As“.

Two days later Naples played a final game with Stuttgart here.

Since my mom had argued with my dad,

she took me away out of spite.

- She was a Juventus fan. - That's not true.

Your mom didn't like Naples.

Mom wasn't a soccer fan, don't say stuff like that!

You never said...

She and I argued so many times...

Not because she liked Juventus.

She didn't watch soccer but she liked Juventus, trust me.

It's strange coming from me because I'm a huge Juventus fan,

but when Maradona got here, I couldn't help but watch every game.

Only his games!

I wanted to mold my kids, it was a decisive moment

because they were at that age where they wanted an idol,

6, 7, 8 years old...

I failed with my nephew

because my sister, a hardcore Naples fan, neglected him

and he started keeping bad company.

In English they call it lack of parental control.

I have three grandkids in Germany

but they root for Naples even if they were born in Germany,

because their father is Neapolitan.

My grandson is 18. He's right there next to his grandma.

He knows all about Maradona 'cause I bought him all the DVDs...

He knows Maradona's life story.

I said "Wanna see something?

Look at Maradona while he was training."

You know? It was mesmerizing.

I have a video library with all of his greatest moments.

I managed to convince my kids to watch some because they had to see,

apart from Maradona's famous plays, everything else he was capable of.

I often referred to him as the winning model,

the beauty of soccer as an artistic expression.

Kids today never got to know Maradona,

but they hear, in their dad's or grandpa's stories,

the excitement of those nights of celebration at the stadium.

It was something that pertained to me, and I had to find out about it.

Through us, young kids can relive his feats.

My brother speaks of him with teary eyes, so does my dad.

I never got to see him, but wanted to learn all about him.

One of the first things I saw was a VHS from a newsstand

about Naples' UEFA Cup path all the way to the Stuttgart final.

I recall the voice of Pizzul saying:

"There's an opening for Alemao, Alemao..."

That tremendous goal by Alemao, it was awful...

I really saw that game, more than a game I watched in person.

Every Neapolitan holds a place for Maradona in their heart,

and we've even been able to pass this on to today's youth.

And this is wonderful.

This might be the best legacy Maradona left for us.

Maradona is my liveliness,

and I tell my kids about this liveliness

so my kids know Maradona. He's a living legend.

Kids today talk about Maradona without even knowing him

but they're aware of his immense value.

I think this is something...

that goes beyond soccer.

Diego Armando Maradona

is just a name that conjures up memories

that I experienced for a brief period.

I have memories that are not very clear.

Maradona is a family legacy Neapolitans hand down to their kids.

He's like a main line between parents and their kids, a legacy.

We did it for years in my family...

On December 31 we had to watch Maradona's goals to end the year.

He's a legend who gets passed on.

Yes, he must be passed on...

from Neapolitan to Neapolitan.

Like my dad, my uncles, my grandparents.

They all talked about Maradona, it was normal.

He was important.

Just like kids learn about the Bible in Sunday school,

we must teach our kids about Maradona, that's the gist.

They should know about it.

On Facebook and social media,

someone in Naples posts something about Maradona every day,

every single day.

Kids today seem to know more than us about Maradona...

we experienced him firsthand, but they post videos and such

because they realize Diego's importance too.

It's a great thing.

My son is crazy about watching him.

Diego has no time bounds, he's not a fad...

He's an eternal figure.

I got to know him through video tapes, documentaries,

TV clips I saw thousands of times with my friends.

I began understanding what my father always told me

about the emotions Maradona aroused when he played.

Even if I didn't see him at the stadium,

and I wasn't around during those years, I still feel it.

I think it'll always be that way for my kids, and my kids' kids...

I'm sure of that.

The cultural pillars: Math, Latin, and Maradona.

Many times, the displays of affection from these kids

are a tangible example of what he left this city.

And it's unusual for a soccer player to have this kind of impact.

He's someone who goes beyond any team allegiance or politics.

Maradona is surreal.

He's a timeless figure.

He's an eternal figure, even if he's still alive.

He's basically a legend.

What do you do when you're grumpy?

- I put on a t-shirt. - How do you feel about it?

- Great. - What do you do after Sunday lunch?

- I put on a t-shirt. - Why?

To distract myself... and see good things.

Because no one can do what I saw Diego do.

When I wasn't hungry, I'd put on a Maradona DVD.

I'd eat Maradona-style pasta and my life would perk up.

Unfortunately, he came to Naples late and left too soon.

He should've stayed 3 more years to show them how soccer is played.

He unearths the deepest feelings,

making you feel like a kid again.

He manages to touch on emotions that nobody else can.

Upon seeing his feats, even a grown-up cries

for no explicable reason.

Because he goes beyond. He touches chords within.

One word to describe Maradona? Maradona is...

Just one word?

- One adjective? - This is rather...

- Maradona is... - He's our...

- He was... - Oh...

Uh...

There is no word.

He's everything, I can't describe him in one word.

Incorporeal.

Genius and passion.

Extraordinary. Period.

Unmatched.

I'd say out of reach... in every way possible.

Unforgettable, even for those who weren't present at the time.

We all experienced him anyway.

A pagan god.

Maradona is an institution.

The King of Naples.

I'd give anything to see him here again even for one minute.

He's one-of-a-kind, I used to collect his trading cards.

He is life, everyday life.

If I wrote a book about him it'd be called "Love".

Are you trying to make me cry?

Huh?

Maradona is so many things: life, revolution.

Conviction. Maradona is "you can do it, you must"!

Maradona is our god.

- God. - Soccer God.

- God. - A god.

Sorry, maybe "God" is a bit much...

Yes, that's a big word but that's what came to mind.

For Neapolitans he was the only devil who led us to paradise.

Talking about Maradona isn't just talking about sports,

it's like talking about one of us, a family member.

- Family creed. - He's part of the city.

Like San Gennaro, like pizza...

For me he's...

How can I put it...

A saint!

Saint Maradona.

For us he's a saint.

Even better.

In Naples, we have Father Moscati.

Maradona is the same as Father Moscati.

We Neapolitans would canonize him, it may seem extreme.

Soccer-wise, he's a god for us.

Badmouthing Maradona as a player is sacrilege.

Don't mix saints and normal players, there's no comparison.

Leave saints where they belong.

For me he's like San Gennaro,

I'd trade my father for Diego.

Maradona's dad was a carpenter, so we joked he was born in a cave.

As time went on, we jokingly started calling him Dios.

Certain areas of the city considered him a saint.

He showed up at the perfect time to help us out.

He's a symbol for us.

Like I said, he's like San Gennaro.

San Gennaro is our symbol, religiously-speaking,

he's important for Naples.

San Gennaro and Maradona are all that matters.

One and the same.

Because...

he liquefies blood in the veins...

San Gennaro and Maradona are one.

Who else has a patron saint who liquefies blood?

Only Naples.

That's why we say: When you see a goal by Maradona,

your blood liquefies just like San Gennaro.

We live for symbols, like the symbol of blood,

of the Saint, of the Sacred and of the Profane...

from the realm of the profane, he slowly, or rather quickly,

managed to work his way into the realm of sacred

because we all envision him next to San Gennaro,

who's in first place.

To his right his Maradona.

On the side.

This San Gennaro-Maradona comparison is absolutely...

I wonder if you took a poll what the result would be...

For me, Maradona was never a soccer player.

When I was a kid, Maradona

was this cosmic entity, kind of like Santa Claus.

Maradona was born on October 30th in Lanus,

so for us Christmas was October 30th.

Some people still exchange gifts on October 30th and not on Christmas

because they feel his birthday is our real Christmas.

We even have a chapel dedicated to him.

It could be considered sacrilegious

in terms of what a church considers a chapel...

Miraculous hair of Diego Armando Maradona

I went to Milan for the Naples game.

I was on the same flight back as the Naples team.

When he got up, a strand of his hair was on the headrest so I took it.

I took it as a joke, in a way,

and then I decided to create this...

Naples is full of votive chapels that once lit up the city.

So Sacred and Profane, because Maradona is a god for us.

I mix the two together.

This place is in every guide book,

famous worldwide.

All the Argentineans who come to Italy visit it.

As soon as they land, they come take a photo here

because they're more obsessed with Maradona than us.

He performed real miracles that Neapolitans could touch

and so this is why

he's considered equal to San Gennaro.

Or more.

When I registered my dog's name, Diego,

they told me it was a very common name.

But it's not because his full name is Diego El Diez.

Diego is represented by the number 10,

that's something we all remember.

Even 5-year-old kids

when they see the dog say: "Diego, like Maradona."

5-year-old kids who were born in 2012 already are...

already know Diego's story and what he did for Naples.

Obsessions are worse than illnesses, but love is love.

I wanted to name my son Diego, okay?

My wife said: "Gimme a break".

So we made an agreement and decided to do this,

Antonio is his first name,

but my poor son's full name is Antonio Diego Salvatore.

He must be pissed at me, but I can't help it!

When you meet someone named Diego,

you think of Armando Maradona.

It's automatic, there's no other possibility.

In the south, there's this tradition

where a child is named after the father's mother or father.

It was like that till recently...

Any fan of the Naples soccer team who has a baby boy...

if he doesn't get into a fight with his wife,

will name him Diego.

I did that 6 years ago.

I had my first baby boy and named him Diego.

Because that's what I wanted.

My wife agreed, obviously... that goes without saying.

Why isn't anyone named Diego in your family?

I'm the one who told him

to name him Diego if it was a boy, and he gave me this gift.

One person alone doesn't pick the name, two do.

Or four or six do, with the grandparents!

I have a son named Diego.

The baby was called Diego!

Diego is Diego.

Diego will always be in my heart.

Wonder how many babies

born between 1986 and 1990 were named Diego...

At least 50 for sure.

Wonder if there are more Diegos than Gennaros?

There was an era when all the boys were named Diego.

They're no longer kids now,

the kids named Diego are now about 25 years old.

There are 10-years-olds who are named Diego too,

even today.

My mom wanted a different name for me.

My dad wanted to call me Diego Armando.

So they pulled names from a hat, Diego came up three times.

When they went to the hospital,

the nurse said the name was too long.

She suggested Diego, instead of Diego Armando.

From 1984-1990, there was an increase in births,

so that dads could name their sons Diego Armando Maradona...

Not Maradona, just Diego Armando...

My name is Diego Armando Maradona, my surname is Mollica.

My parents were torn between: Diego, Roberto, Christian...

and so my mom gave my father full freedom

and he had the brilliant idea to take it a step further...

and called me Diego Armando Maradona.

I recall being with friends one night, it was raining.

It was pouring and we drove into a ditch.

So I called the police to get help.

I said, "I'm Diego Armando Maradona Mollica".

And they thought I was playing a prank!

They hung up and I had to call them back again.

The two main baptism names were Diego and Blu, like his jersey.

There are so many girls named Blu.

Ladies wore blue bras and panties!

We baptized lots of Diegos and Blus.

- My daughter's Giordana. - No way...

I named her after my brother Giordano,

but also after the forward line which was Maradona, Giordano, Careca.

And I always said...

if we have a third, we'll name him Antonio like Antonio Careca...

and we'll have the full forward line.

I'm unlucky because I was born in '89.

I'm not named Diego like Diego Armando Maradona,

but Andrea, like the striker, Andrea Carnevale.

Because my family always goes against the grain.

Because of Andrea Carnevale's goal, I'm Andrea.

Today is my son Diego's birthday.

He's turning 6.

He was born a month after Maradona's birthdate.

Maradona's October 30th, he's November 30th.

And every time I think about my son Diego,

I picture Maradona.

People must think I'm nuts.

"You think of your son and picture Maradona?"

It's an unforgettable name.

It's just one example of how engrossed the city was.

That's why we remember, we remember this special moment.

Because soccer allegiance united the entire city

around this sports fairytale which will never happen again.

I'd like to go back and relive those moments being the age I am.

Neapolitan isn't a dialect.

Neapolitan is a language.

It's a language.

In Neapolitan, "conte" is the word for tale.

The Gospel is "conte of contes", the tale of tales.

So for us, a conte, telling a tale,

is directly tied to the possibility of making it real, in the now.

So it's not just a memory.

Not like a photo you take and look at.

A conte allows you to see images, to see the emotions.

In the now.

It's like eternity being expressed through storytelling.

It's wonderful, lovely.

And only those who are storytellers, who tell tales,

or contes, can bring things to life that others did not experience.

Facing the cemetery in Naples, after the first championship win,

they wrote this on a wall: "You have no idea what you missed"

May 10, 1986.

That date has a story.

The first championship win.

The year we bought Garella, Giordano...

May 10, 1987 we all flocked there.

I was going to the seminary.

A dream, mayhem. The city erupted.

- Naples was... - Topsy-turvy!

There was chaos for an entire week.

We're not talking about one day, but one week of chaos.

One day that lasted three days.

The night before, the city was wide awake.

That night I was going around taking pictures...

I didn't sleep a wink, then I went to the stadium.

I think I closed my eyes during the last two minutes.

I slept soundly for about three seconds,

and during the last minute, the sound of horns woke me,

I opened my eyes and saw blue everywhere.

Flags...

I'm getting emotional because I'm remembering a great episode...

One of the greatest in my life.

When the ref whistled,

there was an uproar, a social liberation.

It wasn't just a sports victory, Naples had really won,

beating the rest of Italy.

We weren't used to this.

The whole city came together, nobody slept in Naples.

We painted the streets blue, the archways blue.

Fireworks to celebrate our first championship win.

In that moment, Neapolitans were in anarchy.

As if we'd won a war or the World Cup.

It was like San Gennaro had visited every single home.

We were on live TV and radio shows.

The streets were full morning till night.

Millions of us on the streets.

Naples was in an uproar. Flags, cars racing around.

People celebrated everywhere, we loved everyone.

They were hugging and kissing.

Some sleazy guys tried to get too close, you know how it is!

Wives went to meet their husbands who'd gone to the stadium,

to hug and start having a ball. I still get goosebumps.

Lots of kids were conceived then, so many Diegos...

I didn't die of happiness then, so I'll never die.

That was pure and utter happiness.

You never forget your first love,

the first time is always better than the second.

The second championship win was also a huge celebration.

But the first one was substantially more important.

- How can you forget? - You remember.

There were impromptu parties on the streets.

We put our 28-inch TV in the window

and everyone on my street came and watched.

There were tables on the streets.

Everyone brought something to eat,

passersby would stop, sit, eat, drink, then carry on.

Tourists would sit at the tables and pig out.

We all sat at this table and ate.

I made pizza, someone made spaghetti, potluck style.

You can't imagine what I did...

Bakeries were handing out bread and sweets.

I got 10 kilos of red, white, green sausage.

I was frying anchovies outside.

I cooked a goat so big it didn't fit in my oven.

A celebration we'd been waiting for.

Three days of pure fun.

I've never smoked a joint or done coke,

but I imagine that's what it feels like.

In that moment they could do anything.

They had total freedom to express their innermost desires.

On Via Roma, which is also called Via Toledo, there were coffins.

With a priest, and a flock of widows,

and the coffins of all the "Serie A" teams.

Then they held a funeral after

and carried them through the Spanish Quarters...

We walked from the stadium, we walked all night.

From bar to bar.

Entire families from the Spanish Quarters were in the streets.

It was impossible to walk.

We were walking on air.

Even elderly people, now I'm as old as they were then...

80-year-olds were celebrating like young kids!

People who had bum legs were running like the wind.

They tossed their canes, like Lourdes.

I was in Pellegrini Hospital, the nurses and patients celebrated.

Some with IVs, others in wheelchairs.

We were out of control.

At my First Communion

I had a traditional cake and one with the championship patch.

Everyone dressed like Maradona, even me.

I was wearing a wig to look more like Diego.

They dressed me like a puppet and drove me around on top of the car.

There were 8 of us, three were on the roof of the car.

While celebrating at the restaurant, we heard a party outside.

So we all went out, I was still wearing my Communion robe.

They were waving flags and I had a cross around my neck.

Unforgettable. I wanted that cake with the championship patch.

I wanted to remember it for the rest of my life.

In 2017, it'll be 30 years since the first championship win.

Neapolitans still celebrate this occasion.

The King of Naples is about to reach the airport.

No, I'm no King. I'm a soccer player, that's it.

What's your relationship like with this city we see below us?

It's a beautiful relationship.

Beautiful because the way this city welcomed me

was like no other city ever could.

I respect and love this city and will forever.

It's amazing that as soon as I arrived,

there were 70,000 people to greet me.

Yes, greeting a man whose name is Maradona

who plays soccer, this is the power of Naples.

Naples existed before Maradona,

and will exist even after he leaves.

That is the power of Naples, a love for soccer.

Let's make a toast, come on.

He'll never be born again, he'll never be born again.

There'll never be another. The great Maradona.

Don't say it.

We'd mourn at home.

Horrible, horrible, I'm telling you, horrible.

Ever since he left, we've been in a slump.

We were so disappointed.

We lost everything...

- It's become a sad city. - Lots of tears were shed.

It's as if a father ran away.

It's like they snatched him from us.

It's like they took him from us.

That's my complaint.

My biggest complaint.

When a relationship ends, it's hard to accept it.

Two entities, Maradona and Naples, truly loved each other

but this love suddenly ends and you don't know why,

maybe you don't even realize it's over...

because we realized what his departure meant after.

That goodbye...

left a bitter taste in the mouths of Neapolitans.

To be honest, there was no final goodbye.

There was no goodbye game.

Maradona left at night, as if hunted by some major problems.

That was something that truly and deeply hurt us.

We knew he'd leave eventually

but we wanted it to happen nicely. That really killed us.

It was like an escape, not a goodbye.

It came across as an escape, how sad and ugly.

Seeing a Neapolitan flee from Naples...

All good things come to an end.

Robotics professor University of Naples

But he practically left on the sly.

I felt like a piece of Naples had vanished.

He didn't leave with his tail between his legs, but bolted off.

It's sad. He didn't say bye to the people or have a proper send-off.

He had given so much to Neapolitan soccer.

In one go, the city was enveloped by a cloud of darkness.

The same one that had lifted when he arrived.

He got involved with the underworld and ruined himself.

We lost him, unfortunately.

He was the King of the city, so he went to clubs, had girls,

he had fun like all guys his age probably do.

All of this mudslinging might even be true,

but in some way it soiled the image of our sovereign

who'd taken us around the world, winning titles and cups.

There'll never be anyone like him again,

for me soccer is over.

Separations are always painful...

but his role was to bring joy and he did.

I still get goosebumps today remembering these things.

The hairs on my arms stand on end.

There'll never be another Diego who can give what he did

to this city, as a person and soccer player.

A hero. We never had a hero in Naples.

Maybe Masaniello, but he caved into the King.

We yearn for a hero.

Even now, 30 years later, he's our paladin.

He was a brother and a man.

We didn't give a shit about

what happened off of the field.

His problems don't matter, we all make mistakes, me too.

Nobody is irreproachable. This is also why he was great.

He admitted his weakness and the people accepted him.

Each man has his own issues...

Each person has their own faults.

Isn't that so?

Things happen.

But we let it slide because Maradona is Maradona.

I have nothing bad to say about him as a person.

Because we really love him, I still get teary-eyed.

Despite all of the joy he had here, I saw him suffer lots.

And as a Neapolitan, I'm truly sorry about that.

He knows that we love him.

That's Naples...

It swallows you up and eats you.

It's immensely passionate, in every way, it's extreme.

The story with Maradona never ended.

Nature and fate wanted to seal our bond.

He has a Neapolitan son.

His only son is Neapolitan.

Genetically, we have a Neapolitan Maradona.

We've gone full circle, the Maradona genesis is complete.

The fusion is done, it's complete.

It's been 30 years

but people still go to San Paolo stadium with Maradona flags.

We can't forget him.

When I talk about Maradona see how my body reacts?

Maradona, Maradona...

What did Maradona give me?

He gave me hope. He made me cry.

Diego Diego.

Ole', ole', ole', ole', Diego Diego.

Let me hear the chant you sang back then for Maradona.

Ole', ole', ole', Diego, Diego I

Ole', ole', ole', Diego, Diego I

Maradona is better than Pelé,

We busted our butts to get him

Maradona gives us the world and more

We busted our butts to get him

The best chant is: O mama, mama, mama

Do you know why my heart beats?

I saw Maradona, I saw Maradona

Hey mama, I've fallen in love

Excuse me, miss.

O mama, mama, mama

Do you know why my heart beats?

I saw Maradona...

The sound of that word made your heart pound.

O mama, mama, mama, my heart beats

I saw Maradona...

Unforgettable...

Then it kept going.

There were so many...

Thanks, guys. Walk toward your van.

- Bye, honey. - Bye.

- My leg fell asleep. - Shall we go?

That was a great interview, right?

Hold on, they'll come get it.

- I have to go. - We'll come back after.

We'll give it back to them.

You were cool.

- You were cool. - Give it to them.

You were cool. Let's go over here.

- Why are you running? - Come here for now...