Maradona: 7 years at Napoli

Seven of Diego's best to celebrate seven years in Serie A

Nov 24, 2021

One year ago Diego Armando Maradona departed the planet, but he always was a footballer that played out of this world.

Let’s take a peak at 7 of his most important goals during his 7 year stint in Naples.

These are in chronological order. Each goal selected is significant for different reasons as so often Diego allowed the ball to do the talking on the pitch.

1. Diego’s first moment of magic for Napoli

A beautifully executed equaliser to silence the Olimpico in which Maradona’s pecs inflicted half the damage while his left boot did the rest.

The move began with a long diagonal ball that located the diminutive Argentine just outside the box.

Maradona chested towards Daniel Bertoni who supplied the return pass…again to the chest, then a deft touch- which looked to be going wide of the far post- that snuck in beyond the incredulous Lazio goalkeeper, Fernando Orsi.

This was Diego’s second goal in general play for Napoli and Paolo Carbone was live on air to rave about it as the Biancoceleste defensive unit of Fisiletti, Storgato and Batista were sliced apart like an Easter panettone.

2. How to hit a free kick from distance

Towards the conclusion of Maradona’s first season, the Partenopei traveled to Udine to take on Zico’s Zebrette. Therefore, the match was billed as a Brazil vs Argentina clash (of sorts).

Maradona broke the deadlock after 4 minutes, burying a furious free kick from 25 yards over the wall, ripping into the top corner at the near post past Fabio Brini.

This was a significant game for another reason. Udinese’s fans were on the receiving end of their very own ‘Hand of God’ moment. Brini watched in horror as the Maradona fist (disguised as a header) controversially leveled the game at 2-2 in the 88th minute.

“I never regretted scoring that goal with my hand (versus England)….I scored another one like it playing for Napoli against Udinese. Zico, who was playing for them, asked me if I didn’t feel it was wrong and I said absolutely not. I’d often done it before when I was starting out.”

Such was the frustration for Zico, the 1983 World Player of the Year, that it would be enough for him to quit Serie A and return home to Brazil.

Job well done, Diego.

3. How to hit an indirect free kick from close range

This is one of only two goals in this list that were scored at the Stadio San Paolo. Led by Michel Platini, Juventus was the reigning European Champion and had won eight from eight in Serie A.

Here we are on Match Day 9 in the 72nd minute. It’s goalless and Napoli has an indirect free kick inside the box. Juve goalie, Stefano Tacconi, puts five in the wall as Maradona asks teammate Eraldo Pecci to roll the ball to him.

“Are you crazy? There’s no space, can’t you see how close the wall is?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Maradona replied, “I’m going to score anyway.”

Only one man possessed the coglioni to attempt such an outrageous goal. El Pibe de Oro nonchalantly whipped a left-footed curling, dipping effort over the wall and under the crossbar, sending Tacconi flapping at thin air.

The eulogy commenced as Maradona ran towards the grandstand to celebrate, mobbed by those close enough to get to him. Yes, this is the goal where that bloke slips over onto his culo in the highlights.

But what did this goal mean? Napoli finally realised they can match it with the best from the North.

Pub Quiz stat - Stefano Pioli (yes, the Milan coach) played in defence that day for Juve.

4. The statement of intent to the North

Just seven days later, Napoli faced Inter at the Giuseppe Meazza on Match Day 10 of the 1985/86 season.

Napoli deservedly occupied third place with Inter in fourth. We skip to the second half with the score at nil-all, where Bruno Giordano produces a sumptuous cross to the back post.

Employing his Pectorales de Dio once again, Diego chests down and hits it first time to steer his left-foot drive past Walter Zenga and into the far corner as Riccardo Ferri and Beppe Bergomi watch in horror.

Ah, the soothing voice of Sandro Ciotti in the commentary box. The away win over Inter helped diminish the North vs South implicit bias which Diego had struggled with since arriving from Barcelona.

Napoli finished the season in third place, their best campaign for five years. Diego contributed 11 goals, helping his side to UEFA Cup qualification.

5. After the planet, it was time to also conquer Rome

In the summer of 1986, Diego had become a FIFA World Champion after leading Argentina to glory in Mexico.

In career-best form, Maradona led the Azzurri armada to the Stadio Olimpico to contest the 1986/87 Derby del Sole against Sven Goran Erikkson’s Giallorossi.

Yet again, it’s Bruno Giordano racking up another assist bonus. A perfectly weighted aerial ball into the box sat invitingly for the run of Maradio (an obvious combination of Maradona and Dio), who controlled and dispatched past Franco Tancredi to score the only goal of the game.

The result formed part of a 13 game undefeated streak which included a 3-1 away win over defending champion, Juventus.

This was the first time in ten years, since the Giuseppe Savoldi brace of the 1970s, that Napoli had beaten Roma at the Olimpico.

6. The goal to effectively clinch Napoli’s first Scudetto

With three rounds to go, Napoli occupied first position, with Inter just two points behind, but the Azzurri had been trashed in the media after losing 3-0 at Verona.

Fabio Capello had just been begun his tenure at Milan and the Rossoneri were desperate for two points in order to qualify for Europe. With over 82,000 at the San Paolo, Andrea Carnevale put Napoli ahead on 33 minutes, but Maradona’s boot rewrote the headlines.

Once more it was Giordano with a sublime vertical delivery over the top of the Milan defence. Diego runs into limited space, controlling with both feet to take the ball away from his opponent, draw out the ‘keeper and finish from a tight angle under the sliding efforts of two defenders.

*Note that head of hair which blocks the view of the camera, only to be yelled at to sit back down.

“A very important goal for Napoli, after a week where no one further believed in us, we beat a side like Milan.”

Maradona scored 10 goals for the season to lead Napoli to their first-ever Serie A title and coach Ottavio Bianchi added more silverware, winning the Coppa Italia, defeating Atalanta 4-0 in the final.

7. Le mani sullo 1989/90 Scudetto

Just weeks before Italia 90 began, Milan and Napoli were joint leaders of Serie A. On the penultimate match day, both clubs faced troublesome away games at Verona and Bologna respectively.

Diego’s former teammate, Bruno Giordano, had since transferred to the Rossoblu and now stood in Napoli’s way. However, the Neopolitans wasted no time as Careca smacked one into the top corner in the 3rd minute.

Five minutes later, Maradona received a throw-in at the edge of the box, controlled the ball to take it past two defenders and struck low through a line of Bologna defenders into the far bottom corner, devastating the goal of Cusin a 0-2 lead.

This was a goal reminiscent of that fabulous Roberto Baggio curler at USA 94, albeit from the opposite side of the park, and four years prior.

Napoli triumphed 4-2 at the Renato Dal’Ara, while Marco Van Basten’s Milan sank 2-1 at the Bentegodi against a Verona side desperate to avoid relegation.

“Meraviglioso” said Maradona, into the RAI microphone.

Meraviglioso translates to “wonderful”. And that’s how the Napoli great should be remembered, forever immortalised for his spectacular performances on the pitch, not for the dramas of his private life.

After all, we’re only human. Well, maybe not so for our Maradio.

Riposa In Pace.

Diego Maradona: Seven of his best goals for Napoli

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