Vatican City, Nov 12: The Italian soccer team, along with a players and delegates from the Polish national team, were warmly welcomed by Pope John Paul at an audience in the Vatican on Tuesday (November 11), ahead of their international friendly match. The two teams play each other in Warsaw on Wednesday. "I welcome with great warmth the football teams from Poland and Italy," the Pope said, once a keen soccer player himself.
Members of the Polish squad presented Pope John Paul with his own Poland shirt, his name and the number one inscribed on it. The Pope was born the small Polish town of Wadowice, near Krakow, and played as a goalkeeper in his youth. Franco Carraro, president of the Italian Football Federation, presented the 83-year-old pontiff with a crystal football and Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro gave the Pope an Italy shirt signed by the team. The Italian team photograph was slightly different from normal, with a smiling Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni standing amongst his players next to a seated Pope John Paul.


The Italian Football Federation said they had made a request to the Vatican to pay homage to the Pope in the 25th year of his papacy.


Bureau Report