Inside the Curva… Feeling the Passion with Napoli’s Ultras

Winners of two Scudetto in the three seasons, Napoli may not be the underdogs they were when Diego Maradona arrived in Campania.

But their stadium, named after the late great Argentine, remains rough around the edges, much like the city itself. But, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our latest Napoli experience took us into the Curva B for their draw with Parma.

There is a special kind of circularity in watching Napoli play in the stadium dedicated to their greatest ever player, whose memory is honoured across the city.

The Maradona, in Fuorigrotta in Naples’ western suburbs, is a million miles from your identikit modern ground. It is plonked right in the middle of a residential area and it remains first and foremost a place for Neapolitans, a site of communion.

But don’t be put off, they are an incredibly welcoming bunch and upon hearing anyone speaking English, many assume you to be Scottish, there to watch Scott McTominay. Or McFratm, as he is known locally.

First things first though, before heading in, cross the road to Caffetteria Degli Azzurri for a pre-match snack and espresso. Maradona looks down from framed pictures and the only concession to non-Napoli memorabilia is a painting of Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini scoring against Inter Milan, a goal which handed the Partenopei an advantage in the 2024-25 title race.

The Maradona could once host 90,000 fans, but capacity has since been reduced to just north of 55,000.

Napoli have long looked to leave Fuorigrotta and build a new stadium elsewhere, or to refurbish their current home, only for owner Aurelio De Laurentiis and the city council to be involved in the kind of bureaucratic tug-of-war all too familiar to anyone with even a passing interest in the politics of Italian football.

Outdated as the Maradona may be, it can still make a proper racket. That is largely down to the ultras in both curvas.

“The fact that both the Curva A and B have popular ultra movements and groups makes the atmosphere so special,” explains Napoli fan, and our guide, Alex Tione. “I know it’s not uncommon in Italy, but Napoli really do have a big ultra presence at both ends, which is great.”

The noise is incessant, with the capo ultras facing the curva and leading it through its repertoire of songs, which include a loud rendition of the ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ chant that has been ubiquitous across English football grounds for the past decade.

Surprised? Don’t be. After all, the melody comes from the song L’Estate Sta Finendo (Summer is Ending), released in 1985 by the Italian duo Righeira, and Napoli ultras were among the first to turn the disco hit into a terrace anthem.

Curva B is crowded. No one sits down. Right in the middle are the boys in black, and they don’t stop. It’s their spot and you can’t get near. Ever so slightly further out, everybody is still standing, still singing, and we watch the game from here. It’s not quite the eye of the storm but it’s close enough and loud enough.

The capo watches almost nothing of the game, bar the odd glance over his shoulder, but he doesn’t skip a beat. And neither do the lads waving giant flags of Maradona and McTominay, Naples and Napoli’s past and present.

Scotland international McTominay, as he has done time again over the past 18 months, sparks pandemonium in the ground after finding the net, but his effort is ruled out by VAR.

Napoli are held to a third draw in a week and the second consecutive on home soil, leaving them off the pace set by leaders Inter. But there’s no boos, no jeers and no walkout before the whistle. Long after it blows, most of the crowd remain, applauding the players off the pitch. And the gesture is returned.

A second consecutive Scudetto may be slipping away, but Neapolitans haven’t given up hope. Giving up is not an option in Naples. This, after all, is not a normal city and it doesn’t pretend to be.

Your average city doesn’t sit at the foot of an active volcano and isn’t as beautiful as Naples. Your average city doesn’t feel as edgy as Naples and cannot claim to be the birthplace of pizza. Perhaps more importantly, a normal city would not allow itself to exist so vicariously through its football club.

From Milan to Buenos Aires and from Manchester and Liverpool to Marseille, clubs are often the focal point of a community. But nowhere is the symbiosis as strong as in Naples.

For political, social and economic factors, the club has become a natural extension of the city. Naples and Napoli are one and the same.

It is why Maradona retains God-like status through the Spanish Quarters, Forcella and Spaccanapoli. He was not only the best player in the world and the man who delivered two Serie A titles. He was an adopted Neapolitan, one of them, much as McTominay is now after delivering the Scudetto last season. A cult hero in a city that craves them.

The special bond between Napoli the city and Napoli the club is why watching the Partenopei at home has become a bucket-list item for football fans across the world.

It is an unmissable experience and a reminder of how much a club can mean to a community.

Visit our Napoli page to find out how to buy tickets and make the most of your trip to Naples.