After winning the Italian Championship title, the Napoli delegation visited Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday (27/5)
On Tuesday morning, the delegation from Napoli, current Italian champions, arrived at the Vatican and was received by Pope Leo XIV, who was chosen as the new pontiff in early May. Aurelio De Laurentiis, president of Napoli, gathered players, coaching staff and team directors for the visit. In addition to the members of the current Italian champion, the club’s president also brought his family members to the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV was thrilled with the visit of the Napoli delegation and gave a speech congratulating Conte’s team on their achievement. It was the club’s fourth Italian title in history.
“Dear friends, welcome! And congratulations on winning the championship! It is a great celebration for the city of Naples! And that is precisely what I would like to reflect on with you. Winning the championship is an objective achieved at the end of a long journey, where what matters most is not the feat of a single moment, nor the extraordinary performance of a champion. The championship is won by the team, and when I say “team” I mean both the players and the coach, the entire team and the club,” said the religious leader.
In addition to the speech, Pope Leo XIV also spoke with the Napoli delegation. The pontiff was presented with a gift by Aurelio De Laurentiis, who gave him a shirt autographed by the team’s players.
“You are winning the number 10 shirt! So you are a great striker,” joked De Laurentiis. Pope Leo XIV thanked him for the gift.
During conversations with Antonio Conte, Napoli coach, and McTominay, the best player in the Italian Championship, Pope Leo XIV also denied the rumor that he was a Roma fan.
“The press says I am a Roma fan, but you are welcome here! That is what the press says. Not everything that is in the press is true,” he added.
