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England fan has Italy ticket cancelled after displaying offensive Maradona flag
England face Italy in Naples on Thursday night.
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In a photograph circulated around social media, a supporter was seen with the cross of St George emblazoned with the words “Diego’s in a box”. It is a reference to the passing of the footballing legend Diego Maradona in November 2020.
The Argentina star remains a hero in Naples, where he led Napoli to the league title and subsequently had the stadium for tonight’s European Championship qualifier between Italy and England named after him.
In a city with a long history of football-related violence, the supporter has been slammed by the English authorities.
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British police believe they have identified him as a member of the official England Supporters Travel Club and have therefore been able to instantly cancel his ticket for the match.
The Italian organisers have already sent him an email informing him of the fact and if he turns up at the ground, he is expected to be picked up by the electronic scanning process in operation at all of the gates.
Meanwhile the FA have issued a brief statement. It read: “We strongly condemn the actions of the individual who travelled to Naples with a flag that had a highly offensive message on it.
“We immediately took steps to have their tickets cancelled before the match. The matter will be reviewed further when we return to England.
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Gareth Southgate’s England side face a tough opening fixture as they look to book a place at the European Championship in Germany in 2024. Fears over crowd trouble in Naples has dominated the pre-match discussion.
There were many concerns about hosting the high-profile international - a repeat of the Euro 2020 final - in Naples. “It’s for the Italian FA to decide where they play their games,” Southgate said this week.
The Three Lions boss added: “I think everybody is looking forward to the experience of coming to Naples. “Personally, I am excited about playing in a city that loves football with a great history.
“To come here when I can just about remember Maradona when they won the league, and Careca, so I’m excited about that from the football side. Always, we ask our fans to be good tourists and respect the local culture. We hope the game and the next couple of days pass with no problems.”