Maradona's Napoli won the club's only European trophy in 1988-89

Napoli return to continental football on the evening of Wednesday 9 September, against Arsenal at the Maradona in the opening matchday of the Champions League League Phase. It is the first European night of the Allegri era, after Conte's departure. In the club's trophy cabinet there is only one continental trophy, won almost 40 years ago: the 1988-89 UEFA Cup.

The leap in quality came with Diego Armando Maradona, signed from Barcelona on 30 June 1984 for 15 billion lire, brought in by president Corrado Ferlaino. With Ottavio Bianchi as coach, Napoli won the first Scudetto (the Serie A title) of their history in 1986-87, along with a third Coppa Italia.

Two seasons later, in 1988-89, that European run ended with a two-legged final against Stuttgart, beaten by Napoli. It remains the club's only UEFA Cup win, and their only continental trophy alongside the Alps Cup and the Anglo-Italian League Cup.

The following year, 1989-90, under coach Alberto Bigon, came the second Scudetto, followed by the 1990 Italian Super Cup. Maradona's departure in 1991 closed that cycle, which had delivered two Scudetti and the club's only European cup.

The Maradona will not be full on Wednesday: around 45,000 tickets have been sold of the stadium's 54,726 seats for Arsenal, finalists of last season's Champions League. Naples police have classified the match as high risk for public order, with around 1,500 Arsenal supporters expected in the city.

That UEFA Cup remains the club's only European precedent, a benchmark Allegri's side, in their first continental night, come nowhere close to matching.