Stadio San Paolo – Napoli

Date: 1st August 2012 at 12:54pm
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Stadio San PaoloName: Stadio San Paolo

Location: Piazzale Vincenzo Tecchio, Napoli

Opened: 1959

Capacity: 60,240

Stadio San Paolo is a multi-purpose stadium in the western suburb of Fuorigrottain Naples, Italy, and is the third largest football stadium in Italy after the San Siro and Stadio Olimpico.

The stadium was opened in 1959, and hosted the preliminary rounds of the Football for the 1960 Rome Olympics

The stadium is probably most famous for hosting the 1990 World Cup semi-final between Italy and Argentina. Considered to be the most intriguing match of that World Cup, Diego Maradona asked for the Napoli fans to cheer for Argentina.

The Napoli tifosi responded by hanging a flag in their “curva” of the stadium saying “Maradona, Naples loves you, but Italy is our homeland”. It was touching for Maradona for as Napoli was the only stadium during that World Cup that the Argentinian national anthem wasn’t jeered. The match finished 1–1 after extra time. A penalty shoot out ensued with Maradona fittingly scoring the winning penalty for Argentina.

Even with Napoli in Serie C1 during the 2005–06 season, Napoli achieved the feat of having the 3rd highest average home attendance in Italy for the season with only twoSerie A clubs, Milan and Internazionale having higher attendances. Napoli’s final game of the season drew a crowd of 51,000 which now stands as a Serie C record.

Interestingly, the Naples City Council asked to name the Stadium after Maradona, but it was denied on a regulation stating buildings need to be named after people who have been dead for 10 years.

General Views of Italy Sporting Venues

The Gentleman Ultra says…

The San Paolo is another one of Italy’s great stadiums, and is shrouded in nostalgia and drama. It has seen the highs and lows of football in Italy from hosting Napoli games from Serie A to Serie C.

Despite the faltering performances of the team over the years there has always been an ever-present Napoli crowd in the San Paolo cheering the team on. Even in Serie C they drew a crowd of 51,000 which stands as a record.

One thing about this structure that is particularly nostalgic is that it is heavily linked with Maradona at his best. The great Argentine plied his trade here for seven years and was nothing short of a demi-god to the population of Naples. Even when he infamously asked the Neapolitans to support Argentina instead of Italy in the 1990 World Cup Semi final they still loved him.

The atmosphere in the stadium on match day is electric, the Neapolitans as a people are passionate to the extreme and led by the Ultras they make the third biggest stadium in Italy a cauldron on match day.

 

One response to “Stadio San Paolo – Napoli”

  1. It’s a shame the fans aren’t closer to the field, it will eventually need replaced.