Monday’s Serie A fixtures have been postponed following the death of Pope Francis, the Italian league announced.
Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church and a lifelong football fan has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday. He was 88.
“Following the passing of His Holiness, Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A can confirm that today’s league games in Serie A and Primavera 1 have been postponed,” the league said in a statement.
Torino were set to host Udinese, Cagliari were due to face off against Fiorentina, while Lazio — fresh from their Europa League quarterfinal disappointment in midweek — were meant to travel to Genoa, and Parma were scheduled to play Juventus.
The fixtures have been rescheduled for Wednesday, with the Coppa Italia semifinal second leg between Inter Milan and AC Milan kicking off as originally scheduled.
A minute’s silence will be observed before all sports events this week, the Italian Olympic Committee said.
Serie A’s reigning champions and current league leaders Inter Milan paid tribute to Francis in a post on X that described him as “a man of faith, humility and dialogue who was able to speak to everyone’s heart.”
Roma described Francis’ death as “a loss that deeply saddens our city and the entire world,” in a post.
“His faith, his humility, his courage and his dedication have touched the hearts of millions of people, making him a moral reference of our time.”
From meetings with Diego Maradona to the passion for his beloved Buenos Aires club, San Lorenzo, the Argentine pontiff was an avid football fan. And a promoter of sports in general.
Francis’ passion for football became known almost immediately after he was elected pope in 2013 when Argentine club San Lorenzo posted a photo of him holding up the club’s crest.
San Lorenzo, one of the oldest teams in the Argentine Football Association, performed well after Francis was elected as the 266th pope in March 2013. The team won the title in 2013 and then claimed the 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 San Lorenzo stadium is set to be named after him.
Francis met 2022 World Cup winner Lionel Messi in 2013 at the Vatican, where they exchanged gifts. On Monday, Messi expressed condolences via his social media, saying “A Pope who was different, near and Argentine… Rest In Peace Papa Francisco. Thank you for making the world a better place. We will miss you.”
Francis also met fellow Argentine Maradona twice as pope. There was a special audience in connection with a charity football match in 2014 when Maradona presented the pontiff with a football shirt, emblazoned with the name “Francisco” — Spanish for Francis — and Maradona’s iconic No. 10.
“I think we all now realize he’s a [star],” Maradona said after another meeting in 2015. “I’m Francis’ top fan.”
When Maradona died in 2020, Francis remembered the football legend in his prayers.
“Francis was a special Pope, able to illuminate in his time like only the greatest can,” former Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon said in a post on Instagram. “He showed us the way with great courage and moved our souls. I will carry his example forever in my heart.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he was “deeply saddened” over the pope’s death.
“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,” Infantino said on Instagram. “All the prayers of the whole football world are with him.”
The Argentina football federation announced that all of Monday’s matches at all levels would be postponed “as a sign of mourning.”
“It’s a huge loss in every sense, for Catholics and for us Argentines,” Argentina and AS Roma star Paulo Dybala said. His message also included a gesture to those closest to the Pope: “I want to send my condolences to the Vatican and his family.”
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report
