The FA barred an England fan in Italy after he was seen with a flag mocking the death of legendary footballer Diego Maradona.
The man was seen posing next to a Saint George flag that had the words “Diego in a box” across the four white quadrants as he rode a train ahead of Thursday night’s game in Naples.
People in the city are not likely to take well to the tacky flag, where the Argentine footballer, who died in 2020, is widely revered for his exploits for local team Napoli as a player.
The match between the Three Lions and the Azzurri had already been flagged for possible public problems and was held at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, named after the soccer icon.
England would go on to win 2–1, with goals from Declan Rice and Harry Kane putting the match past Italy as Gareth Southgate’s side battled back from a second half comeback.
The man was seen in the photo with a St George flag which had the words ‘Diego’s in a box’ in each quadrant.
It came as thousands of England fans traveled to Naples in Italy to watch their team kick off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
There were concerns about possible hooliganism surrounding this match, with local officials banning the sale of alcohol in a bid to prevent violence, although many fans were seen enjoying beers in the Mediterranean sun in the hours before kick-off.
Last week there were battle runs after the visit of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League and in which police cars were also set on fire.
While scenes like that haven’t been seen so far this week, the sight of an England fan mocking one of Naples’ most beloved figures would not have gone down well with the locals.
Maradona, who died three years ago, won five trophies, including two Serie A titles, with Napoli between 1984 and 1990, at which time his career was cut short by a drug ban.
The Argentine soccer player, who won two World Cups with his country and scored the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England, is adored by fans of the Italian team, who have a statue in his honor on the pitch.
This provoked a strong response from the FA, with a spokesman saying: “We strongly condemn the actions of the individual who traveled to Naples with a flag that had a very offensive message.
We immediately take steps to cancel your tickets before the game.
‘The matter will be looked into further when we return to England.’
Declan Rice celebrates putting England 1-0 up against Italy at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples on Thursday.
Three Lions fans spread their arms as they sing in celebration after Declan Rice put their team up 1-0
People on social media were left concerned for the fan’s safety, with many saying he could expect a violent response from Italian fans in Naples if he was seen carrying the flag.
Fears of a repeat of scenes from last week had led the local government to ban the sale of alcohol and Italian media warned that hooligans were on the way and the city should prepare.
However, the locals were indifferent to the English fans and there was no sign of police enforcing this as many football fans were seen drinking throughout the afternoon.
England fans were seen collecting empty beer bottles and helping staff clean up the harborside square.
Even local media questioned the enforcement of the alcohol ban, as one website posted footage of England fans openly drinking outside bars.
The headline read: “In Naples, no one seems to be abiding by the alcohol ban – in fact everyone is toasting Italy against England.”
However, there were problems getting some to the stadium, with reports that some England fans were put on buses and then driven in the opposite direction to the ground.
And a video was released showing clashes between some members of the traveling crazy army and police in riot gear immediately outside the stadium.
England fans smile and point at the camera as they enjoy a few beers near Castel Nuovo in Naples before the match.
England fans gather in central Naples before the match, where they enjoyed a few beers in the spring sunshine
England fans dispose of their empty beer bottles and cans by placing them in a bin bag near Castel Nuovo
On the pitch, England weathered an early storm from the home team, before taking the lead when Declan Rice struck on goal from a corner.
Things got even better before half time when England captain Harry Kane scored a penalty after a handball, putting him well behind Wayne Rooney as his country’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Things took a turn for the worse when Mateo Retegui scored for Italy on his debut, and things went from bad to worse when Luke Shaw was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in the space of less than a minute.
But they put in strong action at the back and held on for all three points and got their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign off to the best possible start.
