FA bans England fan pictured mocking Diego Maradona’s death before Italy match in Naples

The England supporter had his ticket taken away and could face further punishment after appearing to celebrate the death of the Napoli legend

An England fan shows off the offensive flag (Twitter/The Independent)

The Football Association has ripped up the ticket of an England fan who carried a flag to Naples which mocked the death of Diego Maradona.

A photo circulated on social media on Friday of the supporter apparently travelling to England’s Euro 2024 qualifier with Italy. In the image the man is holding an England flag which bears the message: “Diego’s in a box”.

Maradona was a hero in Naples after leading Napoli to the only two Italian titles in their history in 1987 and 1990.

The FA condemned the image and suggested there could further punish the supporter.

“We strongly condemn the actions of the individual who travelled to Naples with a flag that had a highly offensive message on it,” the FA said. “We immediately took steps to have their tickets cancelled before the match. The matter will be reviewed further when we return to England.”

The incident comes amid concerns that voilence could erupt in Naples overnight. England and Italy were the teams involved when Wembley was infamously stormed by supporters during the Euro 2020 final, while only last week there were ugly scenes in Naples surrounding the visit of Frankfurt in the Champions League.