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Fan has ticket cancelled after bringing 'offensive' Diego Maradona flag to England-Italy game
General view inside the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium prior to the UEFA European Qualifiers (Euro 2024) football match between Italy and England. Sports Press Photo

A fan who made the trip to Naples to watch England play Italy had his ticket cancelled after it was discovered that he was carrying an offensive Diego Maradona flag.

England is currently playing Italy in the opening game of their 2024 European Championship qualifiers at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in the city of Naples.

Over 2,500 English fans have made the journey to the Italian city to support their side but one fan was spotted with a Diego Maradona banner which contained a "highly offensive message."

The fan in question posted a picture to social media brandishing the flag which said "Diego in a box," mocking the recently deceased footballing icon. Thanks to electronic ticket scanning, the fan’s ticket was immediately cancelled.

The FA posted a brief statement on the matter:

“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.”

The Argentine legend played in Naples for most of his career and is regarded as the club’s greatest-ever player, winning two league titles and appearing 257 times. The city is covered with murals and tributes in honour of him.

This article first appeared on BenchWarmers and was syndicated with permission.

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