Sports world mourns soccer-loving Pope Francis with games in Italy postponed
Four top-flight soccer matches in Italy were postponed after the death of Pope Francis on Monday and the Buenos Aires club that the Argentine pontiff supported throughout his life mourned its most famous fan.
The wider soccer and sports world also paid homage after Francis passed away at 88.
All sports events scheduled for Easter Monday in Italy were postponed, including four Serie A games: Torino-Udinese; Cagliari-Fiorentina; Genoa-Lazio; and Parma-Juventus. The four games will now be played on Wednesday, the Italian league announced.
A minute of silence will be observed before all sports events later in the week, the Italian Olympic Committee added.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he was 맥스카지노�deeply saddened맥스카지노� over the pope맥스카지노�s death.
맥스카지노�I was privileged enough to spend some time with him on a couple of occasions, and he always shared his enthusiasm for football and stressed the important role our sport plays in society,맥스카지노� . 맥스카지노�All the prayers of the whole football world are with him.맥스카지노�
Tennis great Rafael Nadal expressed his 맥스카지노�sincere condolences맥스카지노� for Francis in in Spanish.
Francis맥스카지노� passion for soccer became known almost immediately after he was elected pope in 2013 when the Argentine club . He was even a card-carrying member of the club, with San Lorenzo ID No. 88,235.
San Lorenzo is nicknamed 맥스카지노�the Saints.맥스카지노�
맥스카지노�He was always one of us,맥스카지노� , remembering how Francis watched its 1946 championship team as a young boy.
San Lorenzo performed well after Francis was elected as the 266th pope in March 2013. The team won a national title in 2013 and then claimed the South American Copa Libertadores for the first time a year later. Club officials traveled twice to the Vatican carrying trophies to thank Francis for his support.
A planned new .
In Italy, there were also suggestions that Francis supported Juventus since his family came from the Piedmont region where the Turin club is based. Francis맥스카지노� father, Mario Bergoglio, was a basketball player.
Francis met his fellow Argentine Diego Maradona twice as pope. There was a special audience in connection with a charity soccer match in 2014 when Maradona presented the pontiff with a soccer jersey, emblazoned with the name 맥스카지노�Francisco맥스카지노� 맥스카지노� Spanish for Francis 맥스카지노� and Maradona맥스카지노�s No. 10.
맥스카지노�I think we all now realize he맥스카지노�s a (star),맥스카지노� Maradona said after another meeting in 2015. 맥스카지노�I맥스카지노�m Francis맥스카지노� top fan.맥스카지노�
When Maradona died in 2020, Francis remembered the soccer great in his prayers.
Record 15-time European soccer champion :
맥스카지노�Real Madrid would like to express its condolences to the entire Catholic community on the loss of a historic and universal figure,맥스카지노� Real Madrid said in a statement. 맥스카지노�During his pontificate, characterised by the scale of his immense legacy, Pope Francis has represented an enormous spirit of solidarity and support for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people.맥스카지노�
During a meeting with the Argentina and Italy national teams shortly after he was elected, Francis noted the influence of athletes, especially on youth, and told the players to remember that, 맥스카지노�for better or worse맥스카지노� they are role models. 맥스카지노�Dear players, you are very popular. People follow you, and not just on the field but also off it,맥스카지노� he said. 맥스카지노�That맥스카지노�s a social responsibility.맥스카지노�
Francis often hailed sports as a way to promote solidarity and inclusion, especially for young people.
During a global conference on faith and sport in 2016, Francis implored leaders to do a better job of keeping corruption off the playing field and said sports must be protected from manipulations and commercial abuse.
맥스카지노�Francis was a special pope, able to illuminate in his time like only the greatest can,맥스카지노� Gianluigi Buffon, the former captain of Italy맥스카지노�s national soccer team who met the pope on multiple occasions, . 맥스카지노�He showed us the way with great courage and moved our souls. I will carry his example forever in my heart.맥스카지노�
