Local priests protest Napoli's plans to rename stadium after Maradona
A number of local priests have penned a letter to the archbishop of Naples, Crescenzio Sepe, urging him to take a stand against the club’s decision to name the Stadio San Paolo after Diego Maradona.
Maradona made his name in the colours of Argentina and Napoli and upon his untimely death from a cardiac arrest the mayor of the Italian city, Luigi De Magistris, announced that the Serie A stadium would be renamed after the player.
However, despite the euphoria and goodwill the gesture has had across the world of football, a local group of priests remain slightly concerned and believe it would be unbecoming of the city to relinquish the current name, which currently references references a saint.
“The Stadio San Paolo should be named after the saint who brought us Jesus,” the letter reads.
“With humility we feel the responsibility to tell you. We all agree on one thing: we don’t want a clean slate. It would be fine to name the Stadium San Paolo-Maradona, like in Milan where there is the San Siro-Meazza.
“I would be the right compromise to save the faith and honour the champion.”