Soccer-Maradona statue rides through Naples as city remembers Argentine great

NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) -A car painted in Napoli’s signature sky blue colour drove through the streets on Thursday carrying a statue of the late Diego Maradona as Naples celebrated what would have been his 65th birthday.

The Argentine, who carved his name into Napoli history by guiding them to the Italian Serie A title in 1987 and 1990, is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

The statue of Maradona, who died of a heart attack in 2020 and would have celebrated his 65th birthday on Thursday, was taken out of the Maradona Museum for a day-long tour of the city.

"Diego is not dead. His body died, but his soul lives on inside us Neapolitans, inside all the people who love him. I have been celebrating Diego's birthday for years. Diego is always present. And the beautiful thing is that Diego belongs to the people," Maradona Museum owner Massimo Vignati said.

The Napoli fans remembered Maradona's influence on the lives of Italians.

"(Diego is) unity. He brought people together, even those from the north who were against us. Thanks to Diego, people who are not from Naples have also come closer together," a Napoli resident said.

(Writing by Tommy Lund, editing by Ed Osmond)