Maradona gets hero's welcome in Naples

Hundreds of fans gathered at Capodichino airport in Naples yesterday to welcome back Diego Maradona, 14 years after he last set foot in the city.

The 44-year-old former World Cup winner was returning to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs to appear at a farewell match in honour of former Napoli team-mate Ciro Ferrara.

The match took place at the San Paolo stadium last night and pitted a selection of Ferrara's former Napoli team-mates against past and present Juventus players, including Frenchman Zinedine Zidane.

"The moment for him to return to Naples has arrived," Ferrara was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Him being here is a present for the 20 years of my career."

Maradona's arrival for a world record fee of £6.9 million in 1984 signalled the start of a golden period for Napoli, transforming them from a mediocre club into one of the best in the world.

With the Argentine up front, they won two Serie A titles, the Italian Cup and the 1989 UEFA Cup.

Maradona also captained his country to victory in the 1986 World Cup and helped his side finish runners-up four years later.

His decline was just as spectacular, however.

In 1991 he failed a dope test for cocaine and the resulting ban spelled the end of his Serie A career.

Another positive drugs test caused Maradona to be thrown out of the 1994 World Cup in the United States and he has struggled with health problems ever since.

Last year he spent several weeks in intensive care in a Buenos Aires clinic after experiencing heart and breathing problems.

In March he underwent surgery to reduce the size of his stomach in an effort to reduce his weight, which had ballooned to nearly 20 stone.