When Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona joined Napoli in the 1980s, they were struggling to not relegate to the second division.
But the "golden boy" turned him into a competitor for the league title and then led him to win it twice 1986-1987 and 1989-1990.
However, the player who is still a legend and an icon of "the obvious Azzurri" fans was close to winning the title for the third time in the 1987-1988 season, but he lost it in the final meters to Milan, the reason being the Italian mafia.
But what does the mafia have with Calcio?
Season 1987-1988, Napoli led the table for Calcio, 4 points ahead of Milan, with 5 matches remaining until the end of the tournament.
But what happened afterwards was strange and surprising at the same time, as Maradona's companions lost 4 out of 5 matches and lost the title that went to the "Rossoneri" treasury.
The Napoli mafia, known as the Camorra, was completely in control of the Campania region and its capital, Naples, and betting on football matches was one of the gang's most prominent incomes.
In the 1986-87 season, Maradona led Napoli to his first league title, but the club lost huge money because no one expected the submerged team to win the title and all bets were poured into the coffers of other teams.
The following season, the Mafia wanted to compensate for the losses, as the citizens of Naples bet that their team would retain the title.
One of the police investigators concluded at the time that "if Naples won the title in the 1987-1988 season, the mafia would lose huge sums of money estimated at billions and lead to inevitable bankruptcy."
And this gang had to move to prevent the occurrence of what the state was incapable of (striking the mafia). The eye was on the star of the team and inspiring Maradona, who was a close friend of a senior mafia who used to give him huge money, luxury cars and valuable gifts, and provided him with drugs, as Maradona was addicted to Cocaine.
During this season, indirect messages were sent to the Napoli players, including Maradona's car was completely destroyed and then the home of one of the players was robbed twice.
Messages reached the players and lost the title, and the reasons for this loss were revealed several years later.
Season 1989-1990, Maradona brought Napoli again to the podium of the title, and after the coronation he told club president Corrado Fraino, "Mr. President, we must allow others to win so that boredom does not creep into the championship."