For which club is really cheering for a new pope
Since the American Robert Francis Propision Becoming Pope Leon XIV.in addition to his other sports passions – Interests in the baseball team Chicago White Sox And tennis – Another question arises that raises a considerable interest in the football public around the world: for which the football club is actually cheering. For a long time, the belief that the first American pope It sympathizes with the Roman club AS Roma. These rumors were further backed by a video that appeared online and on which Pope Leon XIV. During the greeting of the crowd exclaimed the motto « Forza Roma! ». Shots that spread quickly After social networks And whom the media also reported, many have convinced that the Pope’s football orientation was clear. However, recent events have put this belief in uncertainty.
An important meeting happened at the end of May, when Pope Leon XIV. In the Vatican, he received Napoli football players who have just won the title of Italian champions. As reported by a news agency Apupon the arrival of the Holy Father at the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace during the Napoli delegation, the silence, followed by applause, for a moment.
The pope, apparently aware of the circular rumors of his affection Roma, addressed the attendees with a smile. « You may not want to clap because the media say I’m a Roma fan, » according to an Italian sports newspaper La gazzetta dello sport said to the Naples. He then added a meaningful statement: « Not everything you read in the media is true. » With these words, he didn’t just laugh at the coach Antonio Conte and his players, but also publicly raised doubts about his alleged « Romanist » affiliation.
The Holy Father recognized coach Antonio Conte when meeting with Napoli’s delegation, noting that he had seen him on television screens several times. Photo: Simone Risoluti/AFP
His witty statement has expected new guesses. So if he is not a follower of the Roma, which club is then favorable? Or maybe, as the leader of the Catholic Church, does his true football affiliation hide his true football, not to give the impression of favoring any of the many world clubs?
Napoli’s footballer Scott Mctominay is after meeting with Pope Leon XIV. He expressed enthusiasm and said that it was an « incredible experience » for him. Photo: Simone Risoluti/Reuters
The football puzzle was further complicated by information that circulated among the connoisseurs of the Vatican and in sports circles: namely, that until recently the Pope’s personal Facebook profile contained elements that point to the support of the Peruvian football club Alianza Lima. This coincides with the reporting of Peruvian television Tv perúwho had hinted a while ago that Pope Leon XIV. A fan of Alianza Lime, one of the more reputable clubs in Peru. This information was a surprise for many, as it was alleged that he would be more in favor of the Juan Aurich club from Chiclayo, where he had performed the bishop’s service for more than two decades before his arrival in the Vatican.
The Pope’s football sympathies remain a mystery, perhaps even bigger than initially seemed. While his predecessor, Pope Francisopenly expressed his affection for the Argentine club San Lorenzo, the current Holy Father obviously enjoys preserving the public in uncertainty.
