Diego Armando Maradona showed solidarity with Kalidou Koulibaly, claiming he too was “subjected to racist chants” while at Napoli.
Koulibaly was sent off during the 1-0 defeat to Inter on Boxing Day, although the referee was criticised for not suspending play for repeated racist abuse from the stands throughout the match.
Napoli fans wore Koulibaly masks during their 3-2 win over Bologna last night and club legend Maradona has also stepped forward with a message for the Senegal international.
Diego Armando Maradona showed solidarity with Kalidou Koulibaly, claiming he too was “subjected to racist chants” while at Napoli.
Koulibaly was sent off during the 1-0 defeat to Inter on Boxing Day, although the referee was criticised for not suspending play for repeated racist abuse from the stands throughout the match.
Napoli fans wore Koulibaly masks during their 3-2 win over Bologna last night and club legend Maradona has also stepped forward with a message for the Senegal international.
“I played for seven years with Napoli and I too was subjected to racist chants from some fans,” wrote the Argentine on Instagram.
“I remember still the banners that read: ‘Welcome to Italy’. I feel even more Neapolitan now and want to be close to Koulibaly. I hope this incident can be a turning point, to eliminate racism from football once and for all.”
In Italy, chants of ‘territorial discrimination’ against Neapolitans or those from the South of the country are treated on the same level as racist abuse.
Juventus recently received a partial stadium ban for their ultras repeatedly singing an insulting song about Naples, urging nearby volcano Vesuvius to “wash it with fire.”