What Are the New Dates for Postponed Serie A Matches?
In a heartfelt move, Italy’s top soccer league, Serie A, postponed all matches scheduled for Monday following the death of Pope Francis. The Pope, who was 88 years old, passed away early Monday morning after struggling with double pneumonia.
The league shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), saying:
“Following the passing of His Holiness, today’s Serie A and Primavera 1 matches have been postponed. New dates will be announced soon.”
The affected matches include:
- Torino vs. Udinese
- Cagliari vs. Fiorentina
- Genoa vs. Lazio
- Parma vs. Juventus
Just a day before his death, Pope Francis appeared in St. Peter’s Square for Easter celebrations, offering a blessing to the crowd from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. It was a hopeful moment despite his recent health struggles — he had spent 38 days in the hospital battling a severe respiratory illness that became double pneumonia.
Pope Francis was known not only as a spiritual leader but also as a big soccer fan. He supported San Lorenzo, a football club from his hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tributes flooded in from across the soccer world. Gabriele Gravina, President of the Italian Football Federation, said: “Italian soccer joins in the mourning. Pope Francis was a shining example of compassion and dignity, and he always stayed connected to the world of sports, especially soccer.”
Former Italian national team captain Gianluigi Buffon shared a personal message on Instagram: “Francis was a special pope. He inspired us with courage and wisdom. I will always carry his example in my heart.”
