Luciano Spalletti inevitably mentioned Diego Armando Maradona before Napoli’s Europa League clash with Barcelona, saying that the Argentinean legend would support the Azzurri tonight.
Maradona joined Napoli from Barcelona in 1984, becoming the most iconic player in the history of the Partenopei who won the only two Serie A titles in their history (1986-87 and 1989-90) during the era of the Pibe de Oro.
The former striker inevitably comes to mind now that his former clubs meet in the first leg of the Europa League knockout round play-off at the Nou Camp tonight. The Catalans seem the favourite also because Napoli travelled to Spain without Matteo Politano and Hirving Lozano, while Victor Osimhen is a doubt due to a knee injury.
The Nigeria international will be assessed one last time this morning.
“I don’t think that we’ll be disadvantaged because of the absence of one player,” Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia.
“These two teams are so strong that one player doesn’t make the difference. There is only one who could make it, but he’ll watch the game from heaven. I am talking about Maradona. I am sure that he will be impartial at the beginning, but then he’ll take a position as usual and will support Napoli.”
Maradona scored 115 goals in 259 appearances with the Serie A giants over his seven-year spell at the club. He died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020.