Antonio Careca: «Maradona was a genius…»

«A hero was Diego Armando Maradona who made the difference, it is clear that those of us who played alongside him had to train more and more because he was a genius and it was difficult to keep up with him». The words are of Antonio CarecaBrazilian striker of Napoli’s second Scudetto, who was awarded the prize last night Agropoli to the “Football Heroes”, an initiative organized by the National Ussi chaired by Gianfranco Coppolabefore attending a celebratory event Ascea organized by Club Napoli Velia Azzurra and by the association “Together for Nikita”.

Careca, what effect does receiving an award dedicated to the historic Salernitana center forward from the times of the “Grande Torino” challenges have on you?
When we talk about strikers it’s always something beautiful because they are the ones who make the fans emotional at the moment of the goal. I am really happy for this recognition because it means that I have left something in Italian football.

Speaking of people from Salerno who have made a difference in the world of football, one who has made the history of Napoli together with her is the historic masseur Salvatore Carmando…
It was a thrill to find him in Agropoli. Carmando is in fact a truly special person both on and off the pitch. He cheered us all up before every game with his cheerfulness and he is a very special person and we all keep him in our hearts. In my opinion he deserves a statue like the one dedicated to Maradona.

When we talk about Careca we can’t help but take a dive into the past and remember Napoli who made the South successful in football too…
In Naples it is always difficult to win and beat other teams. So one title is worth ten. We could certainly have won a little more but we were up against the power that was not only on the pitch but also and above all off it.

Napoli, which only last year returned to win the Scudetto after 33 years but which this year is going through a disastrous year…
Napoli who won their third Scudetto deserved it. He played well and made the difference. He competed against Northern powers such as Inter, Milan and Juventus but beat them with great merit. Now I hope that Napoli can recover from this crisis they are going through and return to the top as soon as possible both in Italy and in Europe.

How much has Italian football changed since your time?
Playing then with players of the caliber of Diego Armando Maradona, Giordano, Zico was very difficult. Of course it was a different era compared to the current one but I think it was more difficult to play then because so many champions took to the field every Sunday. In my own small way, I am happy to have made the history of Italian football and especially Neapolitan football.