The Italian soccer league Serie A has postponed all games on Monday in light of the death of Pope Francis. The league released a statement confirming the postponements but did not specify when the games will be rescheduled.
The Vatican released a video on Monday announcing the passing of Pope Francis at the age of 88. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who will temporarily lead the Vatican until a new pope is elected, confirmed that Pope Francis passed away on Monday morning.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Farrell said. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church.″
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Serie A had four games scheduled for Monday, including matches with Juventus and Lazio which were postponed.
Inter Milan, the current leader of Serie A, was not set to play on Monday but still paid tribute to Pope Francis on X following his passing. In a statement, the team described Pope Francis as a “man of faith, humility and dialogue who was able to touch the hearts of everyone.”
Furthermore, the Italian Olympic Committee announced that all sports events taking place this week will observe a moment of silence in memory of Pope Francis. The Vatican, situated in Rome, is an independent state within Italy.
Pope Francis, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was a passionate soccer enthusiast and a supporter of San Lorenzo, a prominent club in the Argentine Football Association. During his papacy, Pope Francis welcomed the team to the Vatican on two occasions. He also met with Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona twice, with Maradona presenting him with a No. 10 Francisco jersey in 2014, symbolizing Maradona’s iconic No. 10 jersey worn throughout his illustrious career.