Former Napoli Player Alemao Reflects on Maradona and the Club’s History

“It is unfortunate that he is no longer with us,” said Ricardo Rogerio de Brito, better known by his nickname “Alemao” (German in Portuguese), in an interview with Agence France-Presse from his hometown of Lavras in the state of Minas Gerais.

For the 61-year-old Brazilian, what Napoli achieved “would have generated a lot of joy in him, and he deserved to live longer.”

Coach Luciano Spalletti’s team came close to winning the “Scudetto” title for the third time in the club’s history, if it defeated its guest Salernitana at the end of the week, and its direct chaser Lazio failed to achieve victory over Inter, after its first two titles led by the “golden boy” Maradona in the 1986-1987 and 1989-1990 seasons. .

Napoli failed to grab the previously expected consecration on 4 occasions, to settle for second place behind the champion in the past ten seasons. According to Alemao, “Napoli were playing well but lacked a stronger group and better reserve players.”

Alemao said that Napoli “built his group gradually and ended up achieving his goals.”

The Brazilian No. 6 was recognizable in the crowd by his sparse blonde hair in the front, which fell to the sides, and his bushy mustache when he played alongside Maradona.

Despite his recognition of the talent of Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (22 years old), one of the most prominent contributors to the upcoming coronation this season, which the Naples fans called him “Kfaradona” after the Argentine icon, Alemao preferred not to enter the game of comparisons, and said, “Maradona, he was a genius.”

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Alemão, who played for the Seleção in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups and arrived at Napoli in 1988, proudly remembers the great team of the 1989-1990 season.

At the time, he was playing alongside Maradona but also with fellow striker Careca, and alongside great Italian players such as Ciro Ferrara, Andrea Carnevale and Gianfranco Zola.

Crowning the league was the first title in Alemao’s career, after spending several years with Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro State Club, and Spain’s Atletico Madrid.

“We had a solid line-up and a captain, Maradona, pushed us all the time and he always thought we were going to win,” said the former defensive midfielder.

“It was a great honor to play alongside him,” insists the Brazilian, who lifted the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) with southern Italy in 1989. “I remember that era with nostalgia. Playing alongside the best player in the world is priceless.”

This team left unforgettable memories in the hearts of the fans, not only because of the titles it won, but also because it raised high the colors of a poor city, whose residents were often the victims of discrimination by the rich northern regions of the country.

And about this atmosphere, Alemao says, “It was difficult to play outside Napoli, where we were greeted with hostile banners and treated as Africans, as if it was a disdain. But it made us stronger.”

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Alemao played starring roles in an incident that left its traces on the Italian title in the competitive 1989-1990 season until his last breath with Milan, led by great coach Arrigo Sacchi.

Four stages before the end in Bergamo, a fan of Atalanta club threw a coin on the head of the Brazilian, to be replaced immediately and taken to hospital. At that time, a goalless tie prevailed between the two teams, 10 minutes before the final whistle.

As a result of this incident, the Italian sports authorities awarded Napoli a 2-0 victory, knowing that the southern club was a point behind Milan.

After that match, Milan, who was shining in its ranks at the time, the Dutch trio Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, tied negatively against Bologna, only to return and lose against Verona 1-2, leaving Napoli alone in the lead, so that the latter tightened its grip until the end and crowned the title.

“The Milan players found themselves under pressure and played poorly against Verona, which made our lives easier,” admitted Alemao.

The Brazilian points out that the team that is close to winning this season, led by “Kfaradona” and Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, will have a special place in the hearts of the Naples fans, just like the team that won the second title in 1990, stressing, “Even if the people of Naples still love Maradona, they They keep a great memory for all of us.”