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Messi advised on how to pay the ultimate tribute to Maradona

Lionel Messi - FC Barcelona
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The Argentine has long been celebrated as a successor to his late legendary compatriot, with the pair largely sharing similar traits.

Lionel Messi should join Napoli so as to pay homage to Diego Maradona, according to Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The Barcelona forward was greatly when Maradona passed away last month, with the 33-year-old expressing sorrow via a heartfelt farewell message on social media.

He then paid his respects to his idol by taking off his shirt to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys shirt belonging to Maradona after netting the last goal in Barca’s 4-0 La Liga win over Osasuna.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner came through the Newell’s Old Boys junior team, and his legendary compatriot had also spent a season at the Argentine side.

Napoli was the team where the world-cup winner forged his legendary status by leading the Italians to two Scudetto successes.

“Messi’s going to finish his contract at Barcelona, [but] how amazing would it be if he would just call Napoli and say ‘I will come’?” Boateng told ESPN.

“‘They don’t give out the No.10 shirt anymore, [but] I would love to honor Maradona’s No.10 and I would love to come and play one year or two years at Naples, without thinking about money or nothing, just heart’.”

“But just that story: ‘In honour of Maradona, I will come and play for Naples’, what kind of story would that be for the world, not only for football, for the world?

“It would be a message, it would be history everywhere. I just wish I would be in Messi’s shoes. I want to be Messi. I would call the president of Naples and I would tell him.”

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