An England fan has been dubbed a "muppet" for holding up a flag with a vile Diego Maradona message ahead of the sides visit to Naples on Thursday evening.
England take on Italy at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Naples, on Thursday night in a repeat of the Euro 2020 final fixture. with some 2,500 diehard England supporters reported to have made the trip despite threats from Napoli’s infamous ultras.
And one fan clearly didn’t get the memo as he mocked Maradona - a Napoli legend with murals dedicated to him all around the city - in poor taste.
A picture on social media began circulating on Thursday of the fan carrying an England flag with the words ‘Diego’s in a box’ emblazoned on it. The disgusting message made a mockery of the Argentina World Cup winner’s death in 2020, which left Naples in a state of mourning.
But the man made one fatal error, forgetting to hide his face when posing for the now-viral picture as his friend appeared to do. And it left other England fans on Twitter both concerned about his safety and stunned at the reckless stupidity on show.
One Twitter user wrote: “Stunned, if he gets in a taxi, forget the stadium, he's on a one way ride to the Ultras. His pic will be on phones all over Naples.”
Another tweeted: “What an absolute muppet,” while a third commented: “Yeah it’s so over for him.”
A fourth wrote: “This isn't going to end well lol,” and another added: “If you ask for it, don’t be surprised when you get it.”
Naples' ultras are renowned for their fearsome reputation and are unlikely to be amused by the disrespect towards the man that delivered their last Scudetto back in 1990.
They were involved in an outpouring of violence before Napoli’s Champions League match against Eintracht Frankfurt last week. Eintracht supporters went on a rampage, fighting with riot police and Napoli ultras as five Italians and three Germans were arrested.
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