Napoli hit Roma with 4 goals, pay tribute to Maradona
As with all other Italian League matches, the game was preceded by a minute’s silence for Maradona, who enjoyed seven remarkable seasons at Napoli, and the game stopped in the tenth minute for a round of applause
Napoli, playing in Argentina-style shirts as a tribute to the late Diego Maradona, demolished AS Roma 4-0 in Serie A on another poignant evening on Sunday.
Lorenzo Insigne put Napoli ahead with a sublime free kick worthy of the Argentine himself in the 30th minute and celebrated by running halfway across the pitch to collect and kiss a shirt with Maradona’s name on it.
Fabian Ruiz, Dries Mertens and Mateo Politano added three more goals in the second half to hand Roma their first defeat of the season on the pitch in all competitions. Their only other loss was a forfeit for fielding an ineligible player against Verona.
As with all other Serie A matches, the game was preceded by a minute’s silence for Maradona, who enjoyed seven remarkable seasons at Napoli, and the game stopped in the tenth minute for a round of applause.
Maradona died of a heart atack on Wednesday, aged 60.
Napoli, who wore a special kit of light blueand-white-striped shirts reminiscent of Argentina’s strip, moved to fith with 17 points, ahead of Roma on goal difference.
“It’s sure these days ater Maradona’s death have given us an extra boost, our idol has passed away and it hurts,” said Insigne.
“Today we wanted more than usual to perform and get a result, for him and for the whole city that is suffering. We dedicate the victory to him.”
Napoli’s jersey with white and light blue vertical stripes, was specially designed to pay tribute to Napoli’s legendary number 10 who led the club to their only league titles in 1987 and 1990 and the UEFA Cup in 1989.
A photo of the former Argentina star was projected onto giant screens in the 10th minute, as players stopped to applaud.
Insigne added: “Tonight’s game must be a starting point, if we play like this we can beat anyone. Head down and work, we can do great things.”
Given a public dressing-down by coach Gennaro Gatuso ater a 3-1 home defeat by AC Milan a week ago, Napoli were stung into action and went ahead when Insigne curled a free kick over the wall which let Antonio Mirante completely wrong-footed.
Naples-born Insigne was also involved in the second goal in the 64th minute as he ran on to Mario Rui’s flicked pass, charged forward and found Ruiz, who scored with a low shot from the edge of the area which went through a defender’s legs.
Mertens snapped up a rebound to add the third ater Mirante failed to clear Eljif Elmas’s shot and Politano added the finishing touch with a solo effort, weaving his way through the Roma defence and evading Mirante to score into an empty net.
The launch of Napoli’s new jersey had already been planned before Maradona’s death, the club said.
“A year ago, together with Kappa, we thought of designing a special jersey that echoes Diego Maradona, his beloved Argentina and the very strong bond with the people of Naples,” Napoli said in a statement.
“Together we hoped that Diego could see it, maybe wear it and share in the excitement with us.”
“The shirt that will be worn by the players... will have an even greater significance than initially assumed,” it added.
Napoli coach Gennaro Gatuso has urged fans paying tribute to club legend Diego Maradona to wear their masks to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
Thousands of Neapolitans have thronged the streets of the southern Italian city since news of Maradona’s death aged 60 on Wednesday.
“There is an air of sadness for Diego’s death, but in this moment the city must also have common sense,” said Gatuso.
“There are too many people without masks. Maradona, he’s a legend, there’s no need to explain it, everyone knows, but right now we have to be good otherwise we will pay the consequences. The city is suffering economically, like the whole country, we have to do things well.”