A woman hangs a sign with writing in Italian reading "Bye Diego" from a building showing a giant mural of soccer legend Diego Maradona, in Naples, southern Italy, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. Maradona died Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020 in Buenos Aires. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The Associated Press
The mayor of Naples started the formal process to rename the San Paolo stadium for Diego Maradona on Thursday.
The move comes with the city in mourning for the soccer great, who died Wednesday of a heart attack at age 60, two weeks after being released from a hospital in Buenos Aires following brain surgery.
'œWe are already putting it together this morning, taking the first steps to dedicate Naples' stadium to Maradona,'ť Luigi De Magistris said. 'œIt's a process but it will be a quick process, because when there is such a strong desire there's nothing that will hold us up.
'œWe're hoping to make it coincide with the resumption of games with fans,'ť the mayor added.
The city operates the San Paolo stadium, where Maradona led Napoli to its only two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.
Napoli plays Croatian side Rijeka on Thursday in the Europa League in a match that will be empty of fans due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, fans were already outside the stadium late Wednesday and into Thursday morning waving banners, singing songs and lighting flares in Maradona's honor -- even though gatherings are technically banned in the city, which is located in a coronavirus 'œred zone.'ť
'œMaradona is like a father, like a brother, a family member for us,'ť said one fan outside the stadium, Raffaele Cuomo. 'œUnfortunately it's like someone from the family died, and it's like a part of Naples has died.'ť
Added Anna Carpi, another Naples resident: 'œIt broke my heart. '¦ But Diego will always be with us, in our heart.'ť
When Maradona joined Napoli in 1984, the southern club had won virtually nothing and was far removed both geographically and socio-economically from the country's soccer capitals of Milan and Turin.
'œIt sparked the revival of a people,'ť De Magistris said. 'œHe loves Naples and so he wanted to - via soccer - make the world know about a city full of humanity, affection, energy and fantasy.
'œEven today I see young kids who didn't (see him play), like my kids, who still have Maradona in their minds and in their hearts."
Il Mattino, Naples' leading newspaper, had a front-page headline Thursday that said simply, 'œGrazie'ť - 'œThank You.'ť
The Gazzetta dello Sport, the country's leading sports newspaper, dedicated its first 23 pages to Maradona.
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People gather outside the San Paolo Stadium to pay their homage to soccer legend Diego Maradona, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title died from a heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
The Associated Press
Two supporters hug each other outside the San Paolo Stadium as people gathered and pay their homage to soccer legend Diego Maradona, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine soccer great was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. He was 60. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The Associated Press
People gather outside the San Paolo Stadium to pay their homage to soccer legend Diego Maradona, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine soccer great was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. He was 60. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
The Associated Press
A girl stops and look as people gather outside the San Paolo Stadium to pay their homage to soccer legend Diego Maradona, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine soccer great was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. He was 60. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The Associated Press
A man touches a poster of soccer legend Diego Maradona, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine soccer great was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. He was 60. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press
People light flares as they gather under a mural depicting soccer legend Diego Maradona, in Naples, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Diego Maradona has died. The Argentine soccer great was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. He was 60. (Fabio Sasso/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press