Naples remains a city in love with the beautiful game

In recent years, Naples has become a trendy city break destination, renowned for its characterful bars, much-lauded pizzas and ties to cultural heavyweights like author Elena Ferrante and actor Sophia Loren.

But perhaps the most important part of the southern Italian city’s identity is its extraordinary passion for football. Specifically, for one club: SSC Napoli.

From the chaotic, glorious years of legendary World Cup winner Diego Maradona, whose seven seasons at Napoli were the best in the club’s history, to the hedonistic release of their long-awaited 2022/23 Scudetto triumph (their first league title in over 30 years), football has consistently shaped the cultural landscape of this metropolis.

Today, the sport’s significance is evident in the hundreds of football-centric murals, shrines, posters and graffiti that cover the city, demonstrating unmatchable enthusiasm for the beautiful game.

Sadly, Largo Maradona, the square dedicated to Napoli’s best-ever player, is currently closed to the public after local vendors became frustrated with police attempts to shut down its stalls.

Here, colourful flags are strung from balconies, while the concrete walls below are emblazoned with vivid paintings of Maradona’s finest moments, including a famous mural painted by Mario Filardi.

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The square, which offers tourists a unique chance to engage with the city’s football heritage, reportedly attracts six million tourists annually, making it one of Italy’s most visited sites.

With luck, it’ll reopen soon. However, the temporary closure of Largo Maradona does offer a fresh opportunity to spend more time discovering the other pockets of Naples dedicated to beloved footballers.

On a stroll down Via San Gregorio Armeno (also known as the Via dei Presepi), the keen-eyed visitor will spot numerous models of El Diego. According to European football expert Andy Brassell, Maradona shrines are everywhere.

“On snack vans, bars, shutters,” he says. “None of them are aesthetically perfect, but they really let you see how those fans feel about him.”

Amble through the Rione Sanità neighbourhood, just north of Centro Storico, and you can admire an abundance of impressive street art. Weave your way into local watering holes such as Bar Nilo on Spaccanapoli or simply take in the azure graffiti showing Maradona alongside revolutionary figures such as Che Guevara.

Here, you’ll find further evidence of the city’s deep connection to football. Sporting idols offer a bastion of hope against the struggles of poverty, violence and corruption that have long-plagued the city.

This is a place where football means everything, so when a shrine to Serie A player Scott McTominay was unveiled in May on Vico San Nicola al Nilo, it was the ultimate testament to the impact the Scotland international has had on Naples since arriving from Manchester United last summer.

Crucially, respect goes both ways for Neapolitans, and McTominay’s praise for his new home helped clinch his heroic local status.

“We have to show we care about the city, and about the culture,” he told The Athletic in April.

Other modern players have had similar treatment. After his goals fired Napoli to their 2022/23 title, several artistic odes to star striker Victor Osimhen were unveiled in the city, including a huge mural in the Castel Volturno neighbourhood (a community with a large population from Nigeria, Osimhen’s home nation).

Back in the 2010s, the performances of star trio Edison Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi led to one pool bar near Piazza Dante being decorated with a mural of the group nicknamed “the Three Tenors.”

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The compact nature of Napoli’s physical football landscape, which seems to seep through the cracks in every wall, allows tourists to pepper visits to these sites into broader urban itineraries.

Huge, deliciously sloppy pizza at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele or Gino Sorbillo is a must, and both restaurants are in walking distance of Napoli’s main footballing shrines, as are attractions like the Royal Palace, Castel Nuovo and the National Archeological Museum.

Ultimately, this is the beauty of the city’s rich football culture: there’s a huge amount to seek out and it’ll help you understand an essential component of Neapolitan identity. But football is so intrinsic to Napoli that even if you don’t go searching, it’ll come and find you.

How to do it

Return Ryanair flights from London Stansted to Naples start at £33, while easyJet offer options from London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh from £16.99. Flight time from London is just under three hours.

Where to stay

Double rooms at the Royal Continental Hotel, which offers sweeping views over the Bay of Naples, start at £130 per night.

Hotel Poerio 25 Boutique Stay is a well-located, affordable option with smart rooms and breakfast options. From £108 per night.