Bitter Napoli fans sell Higuain-brand toilet paper ahead of Juventus match

Napoli supporters are flushing their memories of former striker Gonzalo Higuain down the toilet.

Ever since Higuain sanctioned a €90-million transfer to Juventus in the summer, fans in southern Italy have pulled off several stunts to publicly shame the Argentinian. And those efforts have only intensified in the days before the player's return to the Stadio San Paolo, where his Juventus side will face Napoli on Sunday.

"He prefers our money to our love," read one local newspaper after he completed the move to the Bianconeri, according to The Associated Press.

Vendors are selling rolls of toilet paper with Higuain's face on them as Napoli supporters prepare to greet the player who scored a Serie A-record 36 goals for their club last season.

Neapolitans had fallen so in love with Higuain last year that comparisons to their beloved Diego Maradona began to swell. But love quickly turned to hate as the Italian media reported last summer that Higuain had undergone a secret medical in Madrid ahead of the move north.

Hatred for Juventus already thrived in southern Italy, but Higuain's acrimonious switch only inflamed those emotions.

"Neapolitans, this is the first trophy I have won!" read one banner in Naples, showing Higuain hoisting a toilet. "The new organised mafia," read another section, showing underneath Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, who has been called to testify in an anti-mafia case after allegations he had contact with the 'Ndrangheta clan over ticket sales.

Juventus, seeking a historic sixth consecutive league title, holds an eight-point lead at the top of the Serie A table.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)