Following the death of the Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, Mario Bergoglio, popularly called Pope Francis, the Italian football association has postponed all league matches in honour of the deceased clergyman in the country.
The country’s league management said that the four league matches to conclude the week 33 round of games, Torino v Udinese, Cagliari v Fiorentina, Genoa v Lazio and Parma v Juventus, have been postponed indefinitely.
It stated that the matches earlier scheduled to be played on Easter Monday, which is a national holiday in Italy, would be fixed for a later date before the end of the season.
“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 clergyman was elected to lead the Catholic Church in 2013, replacing Pope Benedict XVI, his resignation before passing on in 2022 at the age of 95.
The 88-year-old was a known football fan and had supported Argentine side San Lorenzo since he was a child, a status that made a number of Serie A clubs posted tributes to the Pope following his passing.
“A loss that deeply saddens our city and the entire world. 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”, ” a Roma statement read.
