Once Upon a Time in Naples: MARADONA Final Edition 2022
Paperback
Series: My Books on Italian Football, Book 5
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Mar 12 2022
Pages: 530
Weight: 1.54
Height: 1.07 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
...It began on 5th July 1984. A most beautiful day in the Italian south. With 70,000 screaming Neapolitans roaring out his name in the San Paolo stadium, Diego Armando Maradona arrived under the shadow of Mount Vesuvio in Naples, and for seven years all hell was let loose! For so long the ailing giant SSC Napoli criminally underachieved. Their fanatical support unequalled in both passion and size across Italy. A history dramatic, explosive and tragic. Like the finest Italian operas it always ended in despair. Then came Maradona. Blessed with a ball at his feet on the field, hopelessly cursed off it. He mixed openly with the city's most feared and notorious gangsters, the Camorra. The feared Giuliano clan. Untouchable, beyond reproach. A lifestyle fuelled by cocaine. A lawless idol with thorns so deep they pricked to make Maradona believe for a while he was a God. When not enjoying the decadent excesses of this Babylon by the sea, there was magic to be made on the field, as the charismatic Argentinian inspired Napoli to their first ever Scudetto title. Juventus, the Milan clubs, all despised as they mocked this last major European city before Africa began.
In revenge, Maradona led the southern hordes against those who viewed Naples lower than the dirt on the Italian boot. A revolution took place every Sunday for seven years with battles raging both on and off the field. Once Upon a Time in Naples attempts to chronicle this unforgettable era of when Diego left his inestimable mark on Italian football and Neapolitan's hearts. An alluring tale of wonderful football, glory, despair, betrayal and corruption. A city that lived for the day and chanced their hand on the forever changing moods of Vesuvio. From a high their patron San Gennaro kept a watching eye, but even he could not bring about a happy ending. Miracles are one thing, Maradona another! For in this city where the devil feared to tread, even the angels had dirt under their wings. Welcome to Naples!
A fully updated version. RIP Diego 1960-2020...
Also from
Ludden, John
25 Years of Stuff and Nonsense: THE DUST OF PAST FOOTSTEPS: A Trilogy (Part One)
Ludden, John
Paperback
The Ballad of the Basque: Manchester United v Athletico Bilbao: 1957 European Cup
Ludden, John
Paperback
Maradona Trilogy 65: Operation San Gennaro: Bella Giornata: Maradona, the Escobars and Dragons
Ludden, John
Paperback
Walking Down the Warwick Road: A Selection of Writing on Manchester United Games: 57-69 (Part one of Two)
Ludden, John
Paperback
A Manchester United Holy Trinity: BEST LAW AND CHARLTON (A Selection Of Writing)
Ludden, John
Paperback
ONCE UPON A TIME IN ARGENTINA (Part Two): A Footballing Novel Drenched in Blood
Ludden, John
Paperback
ONCE UPON A TIME IN ARGENTINA (Part Three): A Footballing Novel Drenched in Blood
Ludden, John
Paperback
George Best: AFTER HOURS: Performed at the Jolly Angler pub. Manchester. 28th February 2018
Ludden, John
Paperback
Frank and Harry: A Play: 1953: One night only in Manchester with Frank Sinatra!
Ludden, John
Paperback
25 Years of Stuff and Nonsense: THE DUST OF PAST FOOTSTEPS: A Trilogy (Part Two)
Ludden, John
Paperback
Operation San Gennaro: Diego Maradona's Transfer to Napoli from Barcelona (12-500)
Ludden, John
Paperback
From Munich and Mourinho, to Paris in the Springtime: A series of Manchester United related articles
Ludden, John
Paperback
ONCE UPON A TIME IN ARGENTINA (Part One): A Footballing Novel Drenched in Blood
Ludden, John
Paperback
An Incident at Kaminov: Part One of a Three Part Trilogy (Podcast Narration Version)
Ludden, John
Paperback
Also in
Soccer
The Messi Effect: How the Global Legend Changed the Future of American Soccer
Tenorio, Paul
Hardcover
We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event
Bennett, Roger
Hardcover
The Long Game: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts
Schaerlaeckens, Leander
Hardcover
Soccernomics (2026 World Cup Edition): Why European Men and American Women Usually Win--And American Men Don't (Yet)
Kuper, Simon
Szymanski, Stefan
Paperback
The Shortest History of Soccer: From Ancient Kicking Games to the World's Most Popular Sport
Bunk, Brian D.
Paperback
Compete: Developing a Mental Playbook for Performance Under Pressure in Sport
Abrahams, Dan
Paperback
Relegated: One American's Pints-And-Pies Journey from the Top to the Bottom of English Football
Smith, Todd
Hardcover
The Ultimate Soccer Jersey Collection: Iconic Kits from the World's Greatest Game
Football Shirts, Classic
Hardcover
Your Guide to the 2026 World Cup: Everything You Need to Know about the Players and Teams
Stay, Shane
Paperback
It's a Numbers Game! Soccer: The Math Behind the Perfect Goal, the Game-Winning Save, and So Much More!
National Geographic Kids
Buckley
Hardcover
More Than a Shirt: How Football Shirts Explain Global Politics, Money and Power
D'Urso, Joey
Paperback
The World Cup: A History of the Planet's Biggest Sporting Event, 2026 Edition
Lisi, Clemente A.
Paperback
The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World
Longman, Jere
Paperback
Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams
O'Sullivan, John
Paperback
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro: A Tale of Passion and Folly in the Heart of Italy
McGinniss, Joe
Paperback
La Historia del Fã°tbol En 500 Partidos / The History of Soccer in 500 Matches
Wernicke, Luciano
Paperback
The Club: How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
Clegg, Jonathan
Robinson, Joshua
Paperback
American Soccer Nation: The Remarkable 150-Year History of Yanks on a Roll, from Mob Football to the Modern Game
Franek, Mark C.
Paperback
Los Héroes Numerados (Crónica Y Ensayo) / The Numbered Heroes (Chronicles and Essays)
Villoro, Juan
Paperback
La Apasionante Historia de Los Mundiales / The Exciting History of the World Cups
Lati, Alberto
Paperback
1000 Football Shirts Revised and Updated: From Vintage Classics to the Latest Releases
Lions, Bernard
Paperback
A Home on the Field: How One Championship Team Inspires Hope for the Revival of Small Town America
Cuadros, Paul
Paperback
The Soccer Book of Why: The Answers to Questions You've Always Wondered about
Cuttone, Charles
Paperback
Angels with Dirty Faces: How Argentinian Soccer Defined a Nation and Changed the Game Forever
Wilson, Jonathan
Paperback
Messi vs. Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two Goats, and the Era That Remade the World's Game
Clegg, Jonathan
Robinson, Joshua
Paperback
Play With Your Brain: A Guide to Smarter Soccer for Players, Coaches, and Parents
Norsen, Travis
Paperback
Always Ready: A Little Luck and a Lot of Fight, From Winless to Back-to-Back State Champions
Brandes, Sean
Paperback
The Game of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the World Cup's Biggest Upset
Douglas, Geoffrey
Paperback
Men in Blazers Present Gods of Soccer: The Pantheon of the 100 Greatest Soccer Players (According to Us)
Davies, Michael
Davis, Miranda
Bennett, Roger
Hardcover
Pep Guardiola Attacking Tactics - Tactical Analysis and Sessions from Manchester City's 4-3-3
Terzis, Athanasios
Paperback
World Football Club Crests: The Design, Meaning and Symbolism of World Football's Most Famous Club Badges
Nilsson, Leonard Jägerskiöld
Hardcover
Jurgen Klopp - 102 Passing, Counter-pressing Possession Games, Speed & Warm-ups Direct from Klopp's Training Sessions
Soccertutor Com
Paperback
The Great Game: A Tale of Two Footballs and America's Quest to Conquer Global Sport
Martinez, Andrés
Hardcover
The Vision Of A Champion: Advice And Inspiration From The World's Most Successful Women's Soccer Coach (Latest Edition)
Dorrance, Anson
Averbuch, Gloria
Paperback
Soccer Analytics with Machine Learning: Learning Predictive Modeling Techniques with Sports Data
Gao, Haipeng
Shen, Weining
Joury, Ari
Paperback
It's Not about the Bra: Play Hard, Play Fair, and Put the Fun Back Into Competitive Sports
Chastain, Brandi
Paperback
How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from International Football's Top Managers
Evans, Chris
Paperback
Coaching Positional Play - ''Expansive Football'' Attacking Tactics & Practices
Basile, Pasquale Casà
Paperback
Lamine Yamal: A Soccer Book for Kids, Activity Book, and Guide to Working Hard and Dreaming Big
Bella Mente Press
Paperback
When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to the Top of the Soccer World
Lloyd, Carli
Coffey, Wayne
Paperback
Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United
Moritz, Michael
Ferguson, Alex
Paperback
Pep Guardiola - Coaching High Pressing Tactics & Sessions Against Different Formations
Terzis, Athanasios
Paperback
366 Historias del Fútbol Mundial Que Deberías Conocer / 366 Stories from World Football You Should Know
Relaño, Alfredo
Paperback
My Beautiful Sisters: A Memoir of Courage, Hope, and the Afghan Women's Soccer Team
Popal, Khalida
Hardcover
Arsenal Quiz Book: 101 Questions That Will Test Your Knowledge of the Gunners.
Carpenter, Chris
Paperback
The Barcelona Complex: Lionel Messi and the Making--And Unmaking--Of the World's Greatest Soccer Club
Kuper, Simon
Paperback
Saving Soccer: An insider's account of how the World Game went wrong - and how to set it right
Brennan, Mel
Paperback
