Maradona in Naples: A love story between a footballer and a city | Al Jazeera World Documentary

I will always be grateful to you because you were a constant presence in my life. I am privileged because I was lucky enough to make you feel my

love

. Since you died, your presence has become even stronger and not only for me but for him. The whole

city

would like all this

love

that grows more and more to reach you. I will do everything to prove it. No, but Argentina, Russia, my neighborhood is part of Spagnoli, where I was born and raised. It is a neighborhood from the late 70s, many editions. but above all by reflection of the earthquake when the earthquake occurs in Naples it happens.

It is not only a static problem of the buildings but also a political one in that everything collapses a little the whole

city

practically ends up in the hands of the organized Camorra this war begins between the new and the old camorra precisely because of the management of this money that comes for the reconstruction following an earthquake. I was 10 years old, 11 years old, I felt it very strongly. Furthermore, because they lived in a family of favor, all that happened brought me home not only Because of the news, not just because of what I heard on the street, my mother tried to protect me.

She didn't want me to go out on the street, but it was inevitable for a child. The

world

is what surrounds you. I grew up with these fears, with this tension, this insecurity. I grew up badly. my pre-adolescence was strong, it marked me a little later in life I was soon able to start practicing the profession of photojournalist thanks to my father thanks to my brother and I I photographed the murders When I started after a while Giancarlo Siani was killed by a journalist, the first journalist probably killed by the Camorra and that's why everything was a very strong atmosphere, very scary and tense, there was a place that lifted me up and balanced everything. of this And this was the sports center that is actually called Campo Paradiso, it was a place that brought you peace, Campo Paradiso was exactly there the god of football was the chairs Diego Angelo I risked depression I even risked having a bad relationship with my city just in those years I learned to love it I am sure of what I say and I am not exaggerating Maradona saved me he saved me for sure from that depression of that risk that we will run if today I love my city as a person I owe a lot to Maradona Everything is fine Everything okay The most beloved and appreciated murals of all I realize that, in fact, in my opinion, even the most magical precisely because the place where we did it since I did it is like a little bit in Naples and still in Argentina and practically A fashion has emerged to make murals of Maradona, I think about fifteen.

And then in every town where I have gone, they practically make a collection among the children to let's say that to buy the painting, it is a collection. Yes, and then everyone wants the Maradona to whom it belongs to be made. It's more understandable but you already know the hi

story

of the center. You look before making this mural. The truth is, I didn't know that the Paradiso center existed. No, because obviously when Maradona played here I was 5-6 years old, I'll tell you your

story

, no one. Thank you, goodbye, goodbye. I started. I started doing graffiti back in '93 so with the art of spray cans and I have always done it, let's say illegally when I was little I got into a lot of trouble On the trains and on the walls of the stations I am not known at the level of big people media but in the underground they know me very well and they know the portraits that I know how to make, that is, my skills in portraying faces but from the first mural that I have done of Maradona that they took a prosthesis from one of them with a dalma, that is, I was filled the phone with people who called me and said we have to do murals in San Gennaro, we have to do murals in Ottaviano too and so each neighborhood was responsible for having them.

Maradona himself in his own way I don't love football but the figure of Maradona for me is important in life, that is, he was still a present figure because he is still part of your childhood, understood when something is part of childhood. You've had it all your life, I can't explain it to you, a person from the Maradona family. For me, Maradona represents a superhero. In fact, when he died, it's like Batman was dead. The artists, however, had their defects so the man is precisely that, for better or worse, he is a sinner and maybe he got hurt but this cannot affect the love towards a person as an artist, I can tell you what I see. different things when I look at a photo when I look at a person's look it almost looks like an x-ray and when you see Maradona's look it feels real At least I have this feeling that Maradona wanted to be the idol of poor children but then he also became the idol of the rich For us he was a very important figure for the Neapolitans he redeemed a city a Savior Try to imagine Naples in the 80s and where there has always been this war between the north and the south, even if the Neapolitans are a stubborn people who They cope with the poverty that exists in Naples, but I think that makes people weak and insecure above all.

So when Maradona came to Naples and made us win a championship against our rivals, it was the country's redemption. the whole club and then the fact that Maradona was poor like us amplified everything and in my opinion the myth was born from there Maradona was special from the beginning he arrived in Naples in a city almost on its knees but above all in a club that had No won nothing, a mid-table team and we were wondering how the greatest

footballer

of all time agreed to come live in a city that was a bit special in a non-winning club and then became mayor, not just captain. of a team, he was the captain of the city and as if from that moment the redemption began, the redemption of the Neapolitans was also his, he said it: I also want to be the leader of the street urchins of the poor children. because he came from a difficult life and poverty, so whoever could feel more about these people in difficulties than he could play anywhere, in the strongest clubs.

So much so that even in Italy big clubs like Juve Milan offered white subsidies to Maradona and. He said I don't betray my city Hello Ivan No, I'm sorry first because I was on the scooter I couldn't hear well then I read the message correctly. I am very happy with this opportunity to put my photos of Diego in this context. so open to the public, I see clearly, obviously, what is the idea of ​​the project? In short, we found each other, it's fine with me. Then in the afternoon, ok. See you later, bye, I'm selected for the period, no, I selected them for macro areas.

In fact, look, I wanted to show you I made some x I put some things because I intend to make a kind of journey, a story that tells the birth of a myth and the story of a champion so that he can then be transported to wherever he enters this time machine that has neither a beginning nor a calculated end How many photos yes there will be 149 40 149 photos you have already drawn everything No I came up with an idea of ​​installation and variations what I really wanted to show you if you take a look there later There are many that In reality they have scratches that are ruined because they were kept in good condition anyway, I knew this now, perhaps without touching them for a moment because you don't have gloves, look for a moment, for example. , this so you understand that in my opinion it is a solution, so don't worry, but look for a second, you can see on the face that there is really a little bit of gelatin missing.

Exactly, I thought this was it. laboratory Where can we go? Let's do a series of scans and then we'll do some restoration work. So we will not do it in negative but in the digital file, a restaurant still with the final choice like this or us. We are here we are here Keep in mind that it will be a good thing because people will return to a time That is to say they will return to what was a dream eh We have to get to this That is to say we have to give visitors all those accumulated sensations emotions that I have felt in the first person We have to get it to you.

This is the right goal. I would like to see it with the finished work. I leave everything in your hands. I don't want to see anything. Is that where I trust you? You know what I mean But I would really prefer not to do it very well Directly the finished work come see for example Look look at this Hello good morning Hello good morning I was taken from this image especially by the writing that obviously says my heart is Palestinian Ah yes the famous What a wonderful phrase and this is what Maradona said when I reviewed Palestinian exponents but in the early 90s and they exchanged t-shirts and he and he said my Palestinian heart I didn't know about this because then it caused a sensation but I hadn't connected it to a project my research.

In short, a whole series of images linked to the city of Maradona. I grew up photographing Maradona, so yes, he is very loved in our area. As many parts of the

world

ask where there are situations of oppression, one is missing his history, the abstraction of him and that is why he became an idol even in Palestine after saying this phrase. In short, my heart in Palestine is very loved, still together. People follow it and I would like to know more about this topic because I don't have much material, that is, I don't know many things, maybe if you can give me some information, look, I have other things.

I owe it to a Palestinian poet because they are very, very beautiful poems. Thanks thanks. Here we are. I wanted to show you the poems of our Palestinian poet Machmoother Witch who talks about Maradona who during the World Cup had become very famous here. In short, he regrets the end of the World Cup, he says who should we encourage now that he was our reference and that is why now we are almost out of work and this is some verses from the poem in this image, however, there are several very beautiful ones here he says, it escapes like the sound of the face of a creature, the face of an Angel, the body of one, a ball, the heart of a lion with two legs like gazelles and also our type Maradona Maradona By the way, I am an actor, in a theater I am doing birth evenings of Palestinian Arab poetry I have an idea, I would really like to be able to do a recital with this poem and with the photos that you took of Diego Maradona alone.

It would really be a pleasure to be honored with great pleasure, it really makes me very happy. I really thank you from the bottom of my heart. Maybe I'll leave you my email. Send me beautiful images. Thank you, thank you, thank you when Napoli wins the first scudetto and I know it. Well, you were little but you lived it and I would like to insert exactly the memory of the child who lives at a certain moment sees this city explode this character Maradona in the center of everything and everything he has recorded No, there is a beautiful memory There was also a writing in the cemetery because then, as a good Neapolitan, we went to the cemetery on Sunday and I remember that when I arrived there was a writing that said But I thought I was dying.

Dedicated to all of you, I am sorry. in my skin every time and I always think about when you have to live emotions but sometimes they resonate in eternity even when you reach the afterlife there was in another cemetery another writing a little more ironic but a little bad they don't know what I am missing And I want to give them photography in this book because it is something that matters a lot to me let's talk about God and this is a plaque a plaque where there are several symbols because DM Diego Maradona God Argentina which is a nation that was born because it is Neapolitan born from another person I already knew it was Neapolitan even before he was born, a Neapolitan born by chance in Argentina, let's say he adapted to being born.

A server knew what he had to see in Naples. This is the pizza that I promised you and Maradona's pizza. The ingredients are very simple like him. That's mozzarella. buffalo grated lemon shredded tarallo because he liked tarallo I knew basil and grated cheese nothing much is enough A very simple thing So you wanted to feel the presence of God daily the paintings on the t-shirts photos figurines writings that's all this love was born when Diego came to Naples, that is, I fell in love with the professional soccer player but with the great man who left this important mark on the entire world.

The whole world comes to Naples but it is not good. Those art museums for culture are good for Diego. I mean, people come. here you do not buy the figures of San Gennaro because San Gennaro is the patron saint of Naples but buying the figure of Maradona he wears the number 10, that is, a very important thing, something that moves the world in a way that not even a Neapolitan fan could move. For me Diego is a son, a brother, a father, a family member. , a person in whom one trusts in moments of desperation But the love for Diego will never end It is an unconditional love but not conditioned by time it will never be certain that this love that we have that Diego showed us will never be lost.

We show it in every alley In every house Wherever you go it is like a picture San Diego for us is San Diego there is the Glamor area of ​​Naples where Diego is loved but where Diego is blessed is the area of ​​humility and simplicity of the poor people who wrote Diego's hand and that he squeezed it with such force that it transmitted his warmth and his simplicity and his humility This is the mark that Diego left in our hearts Good morning Dizzy Hello María good morning Here is your pizza Thank you for sure my usual pizza I say Armando Maradona Diego Armando Maradona Thank you María Thank you thank you everything is fine You are working everything well yeswork Yes About the work but with my Diego you are good I will show you it is almost finished well I will show it to you but wonderful beautiful I have to work on it a little but some small details are missing But then it's perfect It's beautiful soon it will be yours I'll leave work for you one day too Hello Maria we also call our children if you ask a child he says your name Diego and who Yes I sundo Maradona for those who doThey feel inside because it was instilled in them that's how it was told and they played the videos and they played their games, watching Diego play, the adrenaline went up in your brain, you couldn't eat or drink, you eat, you drink, you're in Naples, so you bring a sandwich, Like a picnic, they do it when Diego was playing, guys, there was no one eating, everyone was still, just like Diego was moving, the whole stadium was moving.

Hello Darío, good morning and Omar, thank you. So the photos are so beautiful and they are from Sergio who was Maradona's photographer. Here we are all crazy Maradona. I mean, he looks at this. But he had to do it because all the work on the Maradona icon is a myth. a myth myth okay So you guards are wonderful good job Thank you very much thank you bye So guys now if you would do me the courtesy of not letting anyone in because as soon as Sergio comes I want to make a surprise anyway Ah, here it is, no I couldn't wait, I really couldn't wait.

So now you just have to do me a favor, you have to close your eyes and you have to enter right where it all begins, let's see what the rest says. But as you expected, wonderful, there is a very strong emotion, look, now I'm leaving you because I really want you to enjoy this moment, just go, go like this, there's nothing because true love says a flag calls, forget it and I'm with him to share with you in love Bruno here dear how are you How are you doing A few years and I need to remember precisely the year in which Maradona's cap lasts the coffee then it was In 1987 I was in Milan to go see the Napoli match Milan Naples on the way back I was lucky enough to travel with the team he was sitting in front of me when he got up from the seat I saw that there was a lock of hair left on the headrest I put it in the cigarette packet I took it with me and then I came home because Naples is full of these little altars that I will show you now no, the illumination really came.

Practically yes because Naples is full of these little altars because in ancient times these little altars were used to illuminate the city when there was electricity and clearly they were placed no Maradona But the saints were placed the Cross I put it so I put it I did for fun it was a little thing with an image that was born there for fun then it probably became a pilgrimage for all Fans who love Diego that's why we dedicated a part of the bar to him the hair that used to be something normal but has become a relic like the saints.

Also because Maradona for us is a saint and he will continue to be one because at least he has done it. We have seen the miracle, I have seen them, we have them ruined, we have to touch others, those of us there have honestly heard about it, but I have never seen Maradona, he has always been the flag of the entire south of the world, money, including the most The weak, the most abused, he was always present and showed his face. He knew who could make a contribution and he wanted to make a contribution to these people.

The Neapolitans are considered almost brothers of this piece of furniture. For Maradona, he was the one who created this brotherhood, which is why Maradona goes further. beyond football but we must never forget the great athlete, a special player, he showed his goals because those goals were our goals. It is something that is difficult to tell in the future to those who have not experienced it and I always ask myself if I want to record these things. I would like this to also come as a message Il Messaggero Maradona who will never be forgotten now no one can say that he will be forgotten because no one could imagine me But I am afraid that one day this great figure this great Messenger will be forgotten