Pope Francis was a card-carrying soccer fan. And a promoter of the values in sports

Pope Francis honoured by hometown soccer team

Argentina-born Pope Francis, who died yesterday, is being honoured at his local hometown soccer club in Buenos Aires, San Lorenzo de Almagro, where the football-loving head of the Roman Catholic Church remained a member during his 12-year papacy.

The late Pope was a big football fan and even a member of his home club San Lorenzo. In addition to Argentinian greats such as Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona, OEFB captain David Alaba also had an audience with Francis.

Sports world mourns soccer-loving Pope Francis

ROME — 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.

Average player, assiduous follower of San Lorenzo and believing in a humanist and collective football... "So football" depicts the sovereign pontiff supporting it like the others.

“May San Lorenzo win”, was the spontaneous and singular response offered by Francisco, when Argentine journalist Gonzalo Rodríguez asked him for a blessing for Argentina shortly after being elected pope, in 2013. The sport was always on the agenda of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was fired with heartfelt words by multiple athletes and institutions. In the Vatican he received in public and private audiences the Selection, but also Los Pumas, the Dav…

A talisman for the Argentine national team and for the usual club, a tiffosi like so many others, Francisco is even making headlines in sports newspapers. For him, as a sign of homage, the ball will not roll on the field.