Scott McTominay and Napoli continue title celebrations with Pope Leo meeting | Napoli

Pope Leo XIV welcomed Italy’s newly topped Serie A champions Napoli to the Vatican on Tuesday, joking about his personal soccer allegiances.

Napoli received their fourth Scudetto on Friday with a 2-0 residence victory over Cagliari, edging out Inter by one level in a nail-biting finish to the season. The staff, captained by the Italy worldwide Giovanni Di Lorenzo and together with participant of the season Scott McTominay, arrived for his or her papal viewers a day after a triumphant open-top bus parade by way of central Naples.

“The press says I am an AS Roma fan, but you are welcome! This is what the press says. Not everything you read in the press is true,” stated the pope, in line with a transcript.

Leo, the primary pope to return from the US, follows and takes half in sport, together with tennis. Individuals who know him have described him to the media as a Roma supporter.

Napoli’s chair, Aurelio De Laurentiis, gave him a blue Napoli shirt signed by gamers, bearing the No 10 and his identify in Italian, “Papa Leone XIV”. De Laurentiis stated: “You are a No 10, so you are a great striker.” Leo replied with a chuckle and a easy “thank you”.

The Napoli coach, Antonio Conte, whom De Laurentiis launched as “deeply Catholic”, knelt down and kissed the pope’s hand, earlier than Leo informed him he had seen him many occasions on TV.

In a brief speech, the pontiff careworn the significance of staff spirit and collaboration, and sport’s academic worth, particularly for younger folks. Profitable comes “at the end of a long journey, where what matters the most is not a one-time exploit or the extraordinary performance of one champion”, he stated. “The championship is won by the team, and when I say ‘team’ I mean the players, the coach with the whole squad, and the club,” he added.

Leo ended his remarks giving his blessings to gamers and membership officers, and providing congratulations, additionally on behalf of his private prepare dinner. “She is from Naples and she says: best wishes! She would like to be here too, Mrs Rosa, [she is] a big fan.”