Pope Leo XIV welcomes Serie A champs Napoli to Vatican
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Pope Leo XIV welcomed Serie A champions Napoli to the Vatican on Tuesday, offering congratulations and a touch of humor following the team’s dramatic title win.
Napoli clinched their fourth Scudetto on Friday with a 2-0 victory over Cagliari, finishing just one point ahead of Inter Milan. Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and the squad visited the pope a day after a jubilant parade through Naples.
“The press says I am an AS Roma fan, but you are welcome!” the pope joked, adding, “Not everything you read in the press is true.”
Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis presented Leo with a signed Napoli jersey featuring the number 10 and the name “Papa Leone XIV,” calling him “a great striker.” The pope responded with a smile and a simple “thank you.”
Coach Antonio Conte, introduced as “deeply Catholic,” knelt and kissed the pope’s hand. Leo noted he had seen the coach “many times on TV.”
In a brief address, the pope praised teamwork and the educational value of sports, especially for young people. “The championship is won by the team,” he said, “and when I say ‘team’ I mean the players, the coach with the whole squad, and the club.”
Leo concluded by extending his blessings — and a personal message from his Neapolitan cook, a devoted Napoli fan.
