Stadio San Paolo
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| Stadio San Paolo | |
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| Location | Naples, Italy  |
| Opened | 1959 |
| Renovated | 1989 |
| Owner | Municipality of Naples |
| Surface | Grass 110 x 68 meters |
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| Capacity |
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Stadio San Paolo is a multi-use stadium in the western suburb of Fuorigrotta of Naples, Italy, and is the third largest football stadium in Italy after Stadio San Siro and Stadio Olimpico. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home of S.S.C. Napoli. The stadium was built in 1959 and underwent extensive renovations in 1989 for the 1990 World Cup. The present capacity of the San Paolo is 60,240.
The stadium is probably most famous for hosting the 1990 World Cup semi-final between Italy and Argentina. Considered to be the most intriguing match of that World Cup, Diego Maradona, then a player at Napoli asked for the Napoli fans to cheer for Argentina. The Napoli "tifosi" responded by hanging a flag in their "curve" of the stadium saying "Maradona, We love you, but Italy is our father". It was touching for Maradona for as Napoli was the only stadium during that World Cup that the Argentinian national anthem wasn't jeered. Apparently, Napoli fans were the "black sheep" of Italy because they rooted for Maradona. The match finished 1-1 after extra time. A penalty shoot out ensued with Maradona fittingly scoring the winning penalty for Argentina.
[edit] Recent times
Even with S.S.C. Napoli in Serie C during the 2005/2006 season, Napoli achieved the feat of having the 3rd highest average home attendance for a football club in Italy for the season with only the Serie A clubs, A.C. Milan and Inter Milan having higher attendances. Napoli's final game of the season drew a crowd of 51,000 which now stands as a Serie C record.
San Paolo also hosted Italy's Euro 2008 Qualifier vs Lithuania on 2 September 2006 with the possibility of other qualifiers to played there in the future.
[edit] Renaming after Diego Maradona
The Naples city council asked the Italian government for permission to rename Napoli's stadium after Diego Maradona. The Argentine legend helped Napoli to win Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.
The council voted to ask for the renaming of the San Paolo stadium, but one stumbling block is an Italian law prohibiting public buildings to be named after any person who has not been dead for at least 10 years.
