Serie A Matches Postponed Following Passing of Pope Francis

In a mark of respect following the death of Pope Francis, all four Serie A matches scheduled for Monday have been postponed.

The Vatican announced on Monday morning that Pope Francis had passed away at the age of 88, after recently being discharged from hospital following a five-week stay for treatment of an infection.

Consequently, the Serie A fixtures between Torino and Udinese, Cagliari and Fiorentina, Genoa and Lazio, and Parma and Juventus, which were originally set to take place on Easter Monday (a national holiday in Italy), have been rescheduled.

These matches will now be played on Wednesday, April 23, with all four games kicking off at 17:30 BST. 

Pope Francis, who was elected to lead the Catholic Church in 2013, succeeding Pope Benedict XVI, was widely known to be a passionate football fan. He had been a lifelong supporter of Argentine club San Lorenzo. 

San Lorenzo issued a heartfelt tribute, stating, “Our hearts ache. Pope Francis has left this world, but he will never leave our hearts. An honorary member of our club, his passion for San Lorenzo always moved us especially, and unites us in a constant prayer for his soul. He celebrated every achievement with us with enormous generosity, receiving the delegations that visited him in the Vatican during his papacy.”   

Numerous Serie A clubs also expressed their condolences and paid tribute to the Pope following his passing.

“A loss that deeply saddens our city and the entire world,” read a statement from Roma. “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.” 

The postponement of these matches underscores the profound impact Pope Francis had on Italy and the world, and the respect held for him within the football community.