KOLKATA: If Sebastien Haller's Bundesliga debut for Borussia Dortmund after a six-month fight against testicular cancer was the January high in Europe's top five leagues, Napoli's 13-point lead at the top of Serie A would be a close second. This is beginning to look like the first time since 1989-90 that they could be champions of Italy. Then, Diego Maradona played for them. Now, Napoli play at the Diego. Armando Maradona Stadium.
Naples is where the magic and the myth of Maradona have morphed. When Napoli won their first league title, Maradona "confirmed, albeit ephemerally and via the conduit of football, that the south was the north's equal," wrote Guillem Balague in his book, "The Boy, The Rebel, The God.' Naples accorded Maradona semi-divine ture which he sometimes found suffocating, the book says. Even now, 'I love Diego' banners flutter when Napoli are at home.
They did when Victor Osimhen netted a beauty on Sunday.
This story is from the February 03, 2023 edition of Hindustan Times.
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This story is from the February 03, 2023 edition of Hindustan Times.
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