Maradona: Seven years at Napoli

Seven of Diego’s best goals to celebrate seven years in Serie A

6 min readNov 24, 2021

We acknowledge the first anniversary of the passing of Diego Armando Maradona by commemorating seven years in a Napoli shirt with seven of his most important goals for the Partenopei.

These are in chronological order. Each goal selected is significant for different reasons as so often, Diego allowed the ball to do the talking on the pitch.

1. Diego’s first moment of magic for Napoli

Maradona scores for Napoli against Lazio 1984/85

This was a beautifully executed equaliser to silence the Olimpico in which Maradona’s pecs inflicted half the damage while his left boot did the rest.

The move began with a long diagonal ball that located the diminutive Argentine just outside the box.

Maradona chested towards Daniel Bertoni who supplied the return pass — again to the chest — then a deft touch, which looked to be going wide of the far post, that snuck in beyond the incredulous Lazio goalkeeper, Fernando Orsi.

2. How to hit a free kick from distance

Maradona scores for Napoli against Udinese 1984/85

Towards the conclusion of Maradona’s first season in the Italian top flight, the Partenopei traveled to Udine to take on Zico’s Zebrette. Therefore, the match was billed as a Brazil vs Argentina clash (of sorts).

Maradona broke the deadlock after 4 minutes, burying a furious free kick from 25 yards over the wall, ripping into the top corner at the near post past Fabio Brini.

This was a significant game for so many reasons. Udinese’s fans were on the receiving end of their very own ‘Hand of God’ moment. Brini watched in horror as the Maradona fist (disguised as a header) controversially leveled the game at 2–2 in the 88th minute.

“I never regretted scoring that goal with my hand (versus England)….I scored another one like it playing for Napoli against Udinese. Zico, who was playing for them, asked me if I didn’t feel it was wrong and I said absolutely not. I’d often done it before when I was starting out.”

3. How to hit an indirect free kick from close range

Maradona scores for Napoli against Juventus 1985/86

This is one of only two goals in this list that were scored at the Stadio San Paolo. Led by Michel Platini, Juventus was the reigning European Champion and had won eight from eight in Serie A.

Here we are on Match Day 9 in the 72nd minute. It’s goalless and Napoli has an indirect free kick inside the box. Juve goalie, Stefano Tacconi, puts five in the wall as Maradona asks teammate Eraldo Pecci to roll the ball to him.

“Are you crazy? There’s no space, can’t you see how close the wall is?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Maradona replied, “I’m going to score anyway.”

El Pibe de Oro nonchalantly whipped a left-footed curling, dipping effort over the wall and under the crossbar, sending Tacconi flapping at thin air.

But what did this goal mean? Napoli finally realised they can match it with the best from the North.

4. The statement of intent to the North

Maradona scores for Napoli against Inter 1985/86

Just seven days later, Napoli faced Inter at the Giuseppe Meazza on Match Day 10 of the 1985/86 season.

Napoli deservedly occupied third place with Inter in fourth. We skip to the second half with the score at nil-all, where Bruno Giordano produces a sumptuous cross to the back post.

Maradona chests down the ball to his advantage, hits it first time and steers his left-footed drive past Walter Zenga and into the far corner as Riccardo Ferri and Beppe Bergomi watch in horror.

5. After the planet, it was also time to conquer Rome

Maradona scores for Napoli against Inter 1986/87

In the summer of 1986, Diego had become a FIFA World Champion after leading Argentina to glory in Mexico.

In career-best form, Maradona led the Azzurri armada to the Stadio Olimpico to contest the 1986/87 Derby del Sole against Sven Goran Erikkson’s Giallorossi.

Yet again, it’s Bruno Giordano racking up another assist bonus. A perfectly weighted aerial ball into the box sat invitingly for the run of Maradio (an obvious combination of Maradona and Dio), who controlled and dispatched past Franco Tancredi, scoring the only goal of the game.

6. A goal to help clinch the first Napoli Scudetto

Maradona scores for Napoli against Milan 1986/87

With three rounds to go, Napoli occupied first position, with Inter just two points behind, but the Azzurri had been trashed in the media after losing 3–0 at Verona.

Fabio Capello had just begun his tenure at Milan and the Rossoneri were desperate for the two points in order to qualify for Europe. With over 82,000 packed into the San Paolo, Andrea Carnevale put Napoli ahead on 33 minutes, but Maradona’s boot rewrote the headlines.

Once more it was Giordano with a sublime vertical delivery over the top of the Milan defence. Diego runs into limited space, controlling with both feet to take the ball away from his opponent, draw out the ‘keeper and finish from a tight angle under the sliding efforts of two defenders.

Maradona scored 10 goals for the season to lead Napoli to their first-ever Serie A title and coach Ottavio Bianchi added more silverware — winning the Coppa Italia — defeating Atalanta 4–0 in the final.

7. Le mani sullo 1989/90 Scudetto

Maradona scores for Napoli against Bologna 1989/90

Just weeks before Italia 90 began, Milan and Napoli were joint leaders of Serie A. On the penultimate match day, both clubs faced troublesome away games at Verona and Bologna respectively.

The Neopolitans wasted no time as Careca smacked one into the top corner in the 3rd minute.

Five minutes later, Maradona received a throw-in at the edge of the box, controlled the ball to take it past two defenders and struck low through a line of Bologna defenders into the far bottom corner, devastating the goal of Cusin a 0–2 lead.

Milan lost at the Bentegodi while Napoli triumphed 4–2 at the Renato Dal’Ara and then held on to win a second Scudetto the following weekend.

“Meraviglioso” said Maradona, into the RAI microphone.

Meraviglioso translates to “wonderful”. And that’s how the Napoli great should be remembered, forever immortalised for his spectacular performances on the pitch. Riposa in Pace.