Episode Summary
Hosts
Graham Dunn, Jamie Rooney
Guest(s)
Release Date
25 January 2024
Duration
62 min
In this episode of By Far The Greatest Team, hosts Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney revisit one of football’s most extraordinary eras — SSC Napoli between 1986 and 1990, when Diego Maradona transformed a struggling southern club into the pride of Italy and Europe.
Before Maradona’s arrival, Napoli had never won a major honour in their history. Italian football was dominated by the wealthy powerhouses of the north — Juventus, Milan, and Inter — and the cultural divide between north and south felt as wide as ever. But when the Argentine genius arrived from Barcelona in 1984, everything changed.
Maradona’s impact was seismic. His arrival united the city, his brilliance ignited belief, and his leadership turned Napoli into Serie A contenders. The team, built by Ottavio Bianchi, blended Maradona’s artistry with tactical discipline, featuring key players like Careca, Ciro Ferrara, Fernando De Napoli, and Alemão. Together, they won the Scudetto in 1986–87, the Coppa Italia, and later the UEFA Cup in 1989, cementing their place among Europe’s elite.
The episode explores not just the triumphs but also the tensions — the pressures of expectation, the adoration that became obsession, and the personal struggles that eventually consumed Maradona. His fallout with Italian authorities, controversies with the media, and decline in the early 1990s mirrored the end of Napoli’s golden age.
Yet, for one unforgettable period, Maradona made Naples believe the impossible. He didn’t just win trophies — he gave a city its soul.
Takeaways
Maradona redefined what greatness meant in both football and culture.
Napoli’s rise challenged Italy’s long-standing regional divide.
The 1987 Scudetto remains one of Serie A’s most emotional triumphs.
The “MaGiCa” trio delivered European glory and global recognition.
Maradona’s legacy continues to shape Naples — spiritually and symbolically.
SSC Napoli 1986–1990: Maradona’s Reign in the South
Between 1986 and 1990, SSC Napoli experienced a golden age unlike anything Italian football had ever seen — and at its heart stood Diego Armando Maradona, the most gifted and complex footballer of all time.
When Maradona arrived in Naples in 1984, he joined a club with no major honours and a city burdened by poverty and prejudice. Within three years, he had rewritten history. Under Ottavio Bianchi, Napoli captured their first-ever Scudetto in 1987, breaking the northern dominance of Serie A, and later added the UEFA Cup in 1989, bringing European glory to southern Italy for the first time.
Napoli’s football mirrored their city: passionate, volatile, and inspired. Maradona’s leadership, vision, and artistry elevated those around him — Careca, Alemão, Ferrara, and De Napoli — forming the legendary “MaGiCa” trio that terrorised Europe. Together, they played with rhythm and imagination rarely seen in the tactical cauldron of Italian football.
But the triumphs came with turmoil. As Maradona’s fame grew, so did the pressures — from fans, the media, and even the mafia. His battles off the pitch eventually mirrored his decline on it, culminating in scandal, suspension, and departure. By 1991, Napoli’s miracle had ended, but its legacy had already become eternal.
To Naples, Maradona was more than a player — he was a saviour, a symbol, and a mirror of their own struggle for respect.
Napoli 1986–1990 weren’t just champions; they were a cultural awakening. Their story remains one of football’s greatest symphonies — triumph, tragedy, and transcendence in equal measure.
Main Topics
Iconic Moments
Maradona’s transfer to Napoli and its cultural impact
The North-South divide in Italian football
Napoli’s first Scudetto in 1986–87 and UEFA Cup triumph in 1989
Key figures: Careca, Ferrara, De Napoli, and Bianchi
The decline post-1990 and Maradona’s lasting legacy
Napoli’s first-ever Scudetto in 1987 — scenes of citywide celebration
The UEFA Cup victory over Stuttgart in 1989
The legendary Maradona-Careca-Alemão partnership (“MaGiCa”)
Maradona’s emotional celebrations at the Stadio San Paolo
The 1986 World Cup enhancing Maradona’s global stature
The turbulent 1990 World Cup and Napoli’s decline thereafter
Notable Manager
Ottavio Bianchi
Notable Players
Diego Maradona, Careca, Ciro Ferrara, Fernando De Napoli, Andrea Carnevale, Alessandro Renica, Giuliano Giuliani, Francesco Romano, Alemao, Salvatore Bagni, Claudio Garella
Style of Play
4-4-2 Formation, Counter-Attacking, Playmaker Focus, Compact Defence, Diagonal Passing, South American Flair
Under Ottavio Bianchi, Napoli 1986–90 combined defensive solidity with creative freedom — a balance that allowed Diego Maradona to flourish without compromising the team’s structure. Lining up primarily in a 4-4-2 that evolved into a 4-3-1-2, Napoli’s system revolved around Maradona’s genius as the central playmaker.
The defence, marshalled by Ciro Ferrara and Alessandro Renica, was compact and disciplined, providing a foundation for controlled build-up play. In midfield, Fernando De Napoli and Salvatore Bagni offered tireless energy and ball-winning presence, freeing Maradona to dictate tempo and direction.
Maradona’s positioning blurred tactical lines — drifting deep to receive, wide to escape markers, or forward to combine with Careca and Carnevale. The Brazilian striker Careca provided clinical finishing and intelligent movement, forming part of the famed “MaGiCa” trio alongside Maradona and Alemão. Napoli’s attacking play thrived on quick interchanges, diagonal passing, and devastating counter-attacks.
Their pressing was selective but intelligent, often triggered by Maradona’s cues, while transitions from defence to attack were swift — a reflection of their South American-influenced style within Italy’s defensive rigidity.
In Europe, Napoli adapted further — alternating between patient possession and lightning breaks — culminating in the 1989 UEFA Cup triumph, where their tactical maturity matched their technical flair.
Napoli 1986–90 were more than a team — they were a movement, blending artistry, resilience, and emotion into a footballing masterpiece.
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