Maradona’s Mural Covered
Merchants in Naples are using the enduring popularity of the deceased idol to draw attention to their problems with the administration.
Maradona mural in Naples before being covered
The world-famous mural of Argentine football idol Diego Maradona in his former adopted home of Naples has been covered by souvenir merchants in protest against allegedly excessive police controls.
The merchants, who sometimes operate without licenses, prevented clear view of the oversized artwork honoring the 2020 deceased former world champion by using blue tarps at Largo Maradona, which is visited daily by numerous tourists in the Italian city.
Maradona is Revered in Naples
The merchants feel partially harassed by the authorities and hope for a final legalization of their business activities in ongoing negotiations with Naples’ administration.
By blocking the tourist attraction in the Spanish Quarter of the city, the souvenir sellers wanted to give more emphasis to their demand.
Maradona has been almost deified by the tifosi of the local top club SSC Napoli for nearly 40 years. Mainly thanks to the South American ball genius, Napoli celebrated its first championships in club history in 1987 and 1990.