Napoli wear special fourth kit inspired by Argentina to pay tribute to club icon Diego Maradona

Napoli paid further tribute to club legend Diego Maradona on Sunday night against Roma with a nod to his playing days with Argentina.

The football world is still mourning the Argentine icon’s death after he passed away following a heart attack at the age of 60 earlier this week.

And on Sunday, Napoli’s players wore a special fourth kit inspired by Argentina’s strip in honour of their former star, who led the side to two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup during an illustrious seven-year stay between 1984-1991.

Napoli paid tribute to Diego Maradona with a fourth shirt inspired by the Argentina strip

Maradona won two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup with Napoli during 1984 to 1991

Maradona celebrates with the World Cup after Argentina’s special triumph back in 1986

The Serie A outfit announced they had come up with the plan a year ago, but it will now take on even greater significance following the devastating news this week.

A statement on Napoli’s website read: ‘A year ago, together with Kappa, we thought of designing a special jersey that echoes Diego Maradona, his beloved Argentina and the close-knit bond with the people of Naples.

‘Our hope was that Diego would be able to see it, perhaps even wear it and share in our excitement about it.

‘It was agreed that the new kit would be unveiled on matchday nine of the Serie A campaign, during the match between SSC Napoli and Roma.

A shirt worn by Maradona in his time at the club his held up ahead of kick-off on Sunday

Every Napoli player wore the No 10 shirt with Maradona on the back before kick-off vs Rijeka

‘The Kombat jersey that the players will don tonight will have an even greater significance than initially intended.’

Napoli thrashed Roma 4-0 at the San Paolo Stadium, which is set to be renamed the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, on Sunday evening – the second game his former side have played since his passing.

Last time out prior to their Europa League encounter against Rijeka on Thursday night, every Napoli player donned a ‘Maradona No 10’ shirt.

Napoli star Dries Mertens has since conceded it was ‘tough to pull on’ the footballing great’s iconic shirt.

Napoli lit up their San Paolo Stadium to honour Maradona prior to the Europa League clash

‘It was an awful moment for me, so I can only imagine how those who lived through his time at Napoli must have felt,’ Mertens told Sky Sport Italia of Maradona’s death.

‘He made such a big impact on this city and for everyone in the south of Italy. I want to be positive, and focus on my memories of a smiling man who loved football.’

Mertens, who recently went ahead of Maradona in Napoli’s goalscoring stakes and is now the all-time No 1 for the club, added: ‘It was tough to pull that shirt on. In some ways, it was always a dream, but not like this.’ 

Maradona’s ‘Live is Life’ warm-up will be shown on big screens by Serie A clubs all weekend

Meanwhile throughout Serie A this weekend, clubs have been and will continue to show Maradona’s famous ‘Live is Life’ warm-up – from the 1989 UEFA Cup semi-final against Bayern Munich – on the big screens before kick-off.

Serie A players are wearing black armbands and taking part in a minute’s silence before kick-off – just as clubs in European action did during the week.

Top-flight sides are also showing an image of Maradona on their big screens in the 10th minute of games, in reference to the famous No 10 shirt he wore for Napoli, Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Argentina.