Diego Demme admits his father was in tears when he signed for Napoli.

Demme was named after Azzurri legend Diego Maradona and joined in January from RB Leipzig.

He recalled: “He cried when I signed, it was exciting for all of us," Demme revealed. “He is present for almost every game.

“Many remind me that I carry an important name, but I can't and don't want to confront Maradona."

Demme also said of coach Rino Gattuso: "He immediately threw me on the pitch and things went well," he added. “It's an honour that he has shown his faith in me, together with [Andrea] Pirlo, he has always been a role model.

“The fact that he wanted me at Napoli is nice, the positive thing is that his idea of football is similar to the one of [RB Leipzig coach Julian] Nagelsmann. They both rely heavily on possession."