FA ripped up England fan’s ticket to Italy match after picture of him holding ‘highly offensive’ Diego Maradona flag went viral
- The St George’s flag had the words ‘Diego’s in a box’ printed in its four quadrants
- The FA condemned the message mocking the former Napoli footballer’s death
An England fan in Italy had his match ticket torn up by the FA after he was seen with a flag mocking the death of legendary footballer Diego Maradona.
The man was seen posing next to a St George’s flag that had the words ‘Diego’s in a box’ in the four white quadrants while on a train ahead of Thursday night’s game in Naples.
The tasteless flag would likely not be taken while by people in the city, where the Argentinian footballer – who died in 2020 – is widely revered for his exploits for local team Napoli as a player.
The match between the Three Lions and the Azzurri had already been flagged for potential crowd trouble and was being held in the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium which is named after the footballing icon.
England would go on to win 2-1, with goals from Declan Rice and Harry Kane putting the the match beyond Italy as Gareth Southgate’s team fought off a second half comeback.
The man was seen pictured with a St George’s flag that had the words ‘Diego’s in a box’ in each quadrant
It came as thousands of England fans travelled to Naples in Italy to see their team kick-off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign
There had been concerns about potential hooliganism around this fixture, with local officials banning the sale of alcohol in a bid to avoid violence – although plenty of fans were seen enjoying beers in the Mediterranean sunshine in the hours before kick-off.
READ MORE HERE: Italy vs England LIVE
Last week there were running battles after Eintracht Frankfurt’s visit in the Champions League and which also saw police cars set on fire.
And while scenes like that haven’t been seen so far this week, the sight of an England fan mocking one of Naples’ most beloved figures.
Maradona, who died three years ago, won five trophies – including two Serie A titles – with Napoli between 1984 and 1990, at which point his career was curtailed by a drug ban.
The Argentinian footballer, who won two World Cups with his country and scored the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England, is adored by fans of the Italian team, which has a statue in his honour at the ground.
This sparked a strong response from the FA, with a spokesperson saying: ‘We strongly condemn the actions of the individual who travelled to Naples with a flag that had a highly offensive message on it.
‘We immediately took steps to have their tickets cancelled before the match.
‘The matter will be reviewed further when we return to England.’
Declan Rice celebrates putting England 1-0 up against Italy at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples on Thursday
Three Lions fans hold their arms out as they sing in celebration after Declan Rice put their team 1-0 up
READ MORE HERE: England fans celebrate 2-1 win after hours of drinking in the sun for Euro 2024 qualifying game in Naples
People on social media were left concerned for the fan’s safety, with many saying he could expect a violent response from Italian fans in Naples if seen carrying the flag.
Fears of a repeat of the scenes from last week had sparked the local government to bring in an alcohol sale ban and Italian media had warning that ‘hooligans’ were on their way and the city should prepare itself.
However, locals appeared indifferent to the England fans and there was no sign of the police enforcing this as many football supporters were seen drinking throughout the afternoon.
England fans were seen picking up empty bottles of beer and helping staff clear up in the square by the port.
Even local media questioned the enforcing of the alcohol ban as one website ran pictures of England fans openly drinking outside bars.
The headline read: ‘In Naples no one seems to be respecting the alcohol ban – in fact everyone is toasting Italy v England.’
However, there were issues for some getting to the stadium, with reports some England fans were put on buses and then driven in the opposite direction from the ground.
And video was released showing clashes between some of the travelling Barmy Army and police in riot gear immediately outside the stadium.
England fans smile and point at the camera as they enjoy beers near Castel Nuovo in Naples before the match
England fans gather in the centre of Naples before the match, where they enjoyed beers in the spring sunshine
England fans dispose of their empty beer bottles and cans by putting them in a rubbish bag near Castel Nuovo
On the pitch England weathered an early storm from the home team, before taking the lead when Declan Rice stabbed home from a corner.
Things got even better before half-time when England captain Harry Kane slotted home a penalty after a handball – putting himself clear of Wayne Rooney as his country’s all-time top goalscorer.
Things took a negative turn when Mateo Retegui scored for Italy on his debut, with things going from bad to worse when Luke Shaw was sent off after picking up two bookings in he space of less than a minute.
But they performed a strong rearguard action and held on for the three points and get their qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 off to the best possible start.
Source: Read Full Article
