Naples experienced a significant earthquake just hours before Napoli was set to play against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The Spanish giants are scheduled to compete at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium for the Group C match, where both teams have already earned three points on matchday one.
The match promises to be action-packed, with players like Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos facing off against Victor Osimhen and his teammates.
However, there is cause for concern off the field even before the match begins. A 4.0-magnitude earthquake has shaken the ground in Italy.
While Real Madrid’s squad is staying in downtown Naples, away from the epicentre in the Camp Flegrei area, anxious locals have taken to the streets to assess the situation and determine if any significant damage has occurred.
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. Buildings move, 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 that 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.”