⚫️ Farewell to Pope Francis: a universal shepherd with a soccer soul | OneFootball

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

The world has bid farewell today to Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 due to the bilateral pneumonia that caused his hospitalization last Friday, February 14th. Beyond his role as the spiritual leader of Catholicism, Jorge Mario Bergoglio will also be remembered in the popular imagination of football as a passionate fan of the sport. In particular, of course, for the fans of San Lorenzo de Almagro, the club of which he was a declared fan.

A Very Football-Loving Pope

Born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936, Jorge Mario Bergoglio always had CASLA, the club founded by the Salesian Lorenzo Massa, in his heart. In 2013, when he was elected as the first Latin American Pope, he was congratulated by the club with a message on their social media, reminding everyone that Bergoglio was not only a fan but also an active member since 2008. His membership number, 88235N-0, is now history of the Cyclone. Later, among the many sports delegations that visited him in the Vatican, he reserved a special place for San Lorenzo after their victory in the Argentine league in 2013 or the Copa Libertadores in 2014. He was also very present and celebrated Argentina's last World Cup victory, although he missed the final because he was meeting with six Alitalia pilots.

A Heavenly Collection of Jerseys

📸 Alexander Hassenstein - 2014 Getty Images From Maradona to Pelé, and a countless number of presidents, players, and personalities have gifted the Pope with the jersey of their team. That iconic image of the sport will never be repeated again, but it will be impossible to forget him. Rest in peace.

📸 JUAN MABROMATA