Diego Armando Maradona revives memories of his first 'Scudetto'

Diego Armando Maradona revived memories of the first 'Scudetto' (Italian Serie A championship) won by the southern club on Monday at the San Carlo theater in Naples, starring in a show to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the historic trophy.

The Argentine star reviewed his football career and his time at Napoli, the club with which he won two league titles, a UEFA Cup, a domestic cup, and an Italian Supercup, becoming an eternal idol of the fans in front of the 1,300 spectators who filled the San Carlo.

The event, conceived by actor Alessandro Siani and called "Tres veces diez" (Three times ten), opened with the 9th Symphony by German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Maradona was introduced by video messages from two symbols of Italian football, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero.

The Argentine received a long ovation from the present audience when he took the stage at the San Carlo, among which were also Napoli's Spanish players Pepe Reina and José Callejón, according to local media reports.

Throughout the event, Maradona commented on some of the most representative moments of the 1987 Scudetto, such as the famous direct free kick he scored from inside the penalty area against Juventus Turin.

The Argentine was moved when his goal against England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup was projected on a screen, where he started his action before the center-half line and dribbled past the entire English defense.

To comment on that goal, Maradona shared an anecdote about his father: "The first time he told me that I played well was after that Argentina-England match," he said with a smile.

The show alternated moments related to football with social issues: the former Argentine player expressed his support for children living in the poor neighborhoods of Naples and asked them to escape violence and follow the values of friendship.

The event, which generated controversy in recent days among those who were in favor and those who did not consider it appropriate for a theater like the San Carlo, closed with a famous Neapolitan song sung by all the present spectators.

Before saying goodbye, Maradona called his son, Diego, onto the stage and told him that he will never abandon him.

"I want my son by my side. I apologize after 30 years. I will never leave you," he said.