Naples has been rocked by a violent earthquake a matter of hours before Napoli are due to face Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The Liga giants will be at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Tuesday evening for the latest round of fixtures in Group C – with both of the sides involved having collected three points on matchday one.
There promises to be plenty of action on the field as the likes of Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos line up against Victor Osimhen and Co.
There has, however, been cause for concern off the pitch before a ball is kicked. That is because a 4.0-magnitude earthquake has made the ground move in Italy. Real’s squad are staying in downtown Naples, away from the epicentre of the quake in the Camp Flegrei area, but alarmed locals have taken to the street in a bid to establish what happened and if any serious damage has been caused.
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague is among those in Italy to cover European action, and he has posted on social media: “A 3.2 earthquake is like a lorry hitting a building. Or more like ten lorries. Building moves and noise is strong. I know that because it just happened to us in Naples.”
Real boss Carlo Ancelotti is preparing to face his former employers when locking horns with Napoli, and he has said of a heavyweight encounter with the Serie A title holders: “Napoli are one of the best teams in Italy. They’ve maintained the same structure [under new coach Rudi Garcia].
They have a high level, they have individuals, and an atmosphere which pushes them. It’s a return to the past. I had positive moments there, in a marvellous city. Some good moments, some less good. It’s the most difficult game in the group.”
