Pope Leo XIV welcomed Napoli, the new Serie A champions to the Vatican, joking about his own favorite soccer team.

Napoli secured their fourth “Scudetto” on Friday by defeating Cagliari 2-0 at home, finishing just one point ahead of Inter Milan in a thrilling conclusion to the season.

The team, captained by Italian star Giovanni Di Lorenzo, came for their meeting with the Pope just a day after celebrating with an open-top bus parade central Naples.

“The press says that I support AS Roma, This is simply what the press conveys. Not everything reported in the press is true,” the pope stated, according to a transcript.

Leo, the first pope from the United States, is a passionate fan of various sports, including tennis. Those who know him have described him to the media as a supporter of AS Roma.
Aurelio De Laurentiis, the chairman of Napoli, gave him a blue Napoli jersey that had player signatures on it. The jersey had the number 10 and his name in Italian, which is “Papa Leone XIV”.
“You are a number 10, which means you are an exceptional striker,” De Laurentiis remarked. Leo responded with a light-hearted laugh and simply said, “thank you.”
Coach Antonio Conte, whom De Laurentiis introduced as “deeply Catholic,” knelt and kissed the pope’s hand, after which Leo noted that he had seen him many times on television.

In a short speech, the pontiff highlighted the importance of teamwork and collaboration, as well as the educational value of sports, especially for young people.
Victory is achieved “at the end of a long journey, where what truly counts is not just one achievement or the outstanding performance of a single star player,” he remarked.

“The team wins the championship, and when I say ‘team,’ I mean the players, the coach, the entire squad, and the club,” he added.
Leo ended his remarks by offering his blessings to the players and club officials, sending congratulations on behalf of his personal cook.
“She is from Naples and sends her best! She wishes she could be here too, Mrs. Rosa, (she is) a loyal fan,” the pope shared.

Pope Francis welcoming Napoli Football club to the Vatican City