Serie A postpones games after Pope Francis dies aged 88

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.

“The date of the rearranged fixtures will be announced in due course.”

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.

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 which 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, Francis 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 his 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.”

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report