Pope meets the National Football players of Argentina and Italy

Vatican City, 13 August 2013: Pope Francis met on Tuesday a delegation of the National Football players of Argentina and Italy in the Clementine Hall in the Vatican. During the meeting, the Pope reminded the players that they are role models on and off the field ‘ for better or worse’. Both teams play a friendly match in the Olympic stadium in Rome as a homage to Pope Francis.

Addressing to the players present, the Pope said: you are very popular: people following you very much, not only when you are in the field but also outside. This is a social responsibility!
He explained further saying ‘in the game, when you are on the field, you will find the beauty, generosity and fellowship. If a game lack sportsman spirit, it loses strength, even if the team wins. There is no place for individualism there, the Pope said.

‘Prior to being champions, you are men, human beings, with your strengths and your weakness, with your heart and your ideas, your aspirations and your problems. Always remain men, in sports and in life. Men, bearers of humanity, the Pope exhorted them.

Pope Francis emphasized that ‘the sport is important, but it must be true sport! Football, as some other disciplines, has become a big business! Work not to lose your sporting spirit. He also advised them to promote the attitude of "amateurs", to eliminate the danger of discrimination.

Pope Francis offered his prayers for pursuing their vocation to the noble sport, and also asked their prayers since he is also in the ‘field’ in which God has placed him, and that he can play an honest and courageous game for the sake of all of us.

“The Pope is very interested in football because he is a fan of football, he is a fan of sport. In fact the Pope is a fan in particular of the team of Buenos Aires de Almagro”, said Max Castellani from Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian Catholic Bishops Conference.

He also added that Wednesday’s friendly match has a spiritual dimension. “The importance of the match is spiritual because many of the players of the two teams are very religious”.
Source. Varie

The complete text of Pope Francis’ remarks is given below

Dear friends, queridos amigos,

We’ll do this have in Italian, half in Spanish: is that ok?

I thank you for this visit, on the occasion of the “friendly” match between Italy and Argentina’s national football squads. Really, it would be a little difficult for me to be a fan, but fortunately it’s a “friendly” . . . and I recommend that it really be just that.

Thank you to the managers of the Italian Football Federation and the Argentinian Federation. I greet the athletes of both national squads.

Dear players, you are very popular: the people watch you both on and off the field. This is a social responsibility! Let me explain: In the game, when you are on the field, you find beauty, generosity, camaraderie. If a game is missing this, it loses its force, even if the team wins. There is no place for individualism; everything is directed to the team. Perhaps these three things—beauty, generosity, and camaraderie—ought to be recovered in a sporting term that should never be abandoned: “amateur”. It’s true that the organization of national and international sides professionalised sport — and it has to be that way — but this professional dimension should never lay aside the initial vocation of an athlete or a team: being an amateur. When an athlete, even as a “pro,” cultivates this “amateur” dimension, he is contributing to the good of society, he is building up the common good through the values of generosity, camaraderie, and beauty.

And this leads you to think that, before being champions you are human beings, human persons, with your strengths and your flaws, with your hearts and your ideas, your aspirations and your problems. And then, even if you are personalities, you remain persons, in sport and in life – human persons, bearers of humanity.

To you managers, I want to encourage you in your work. Sport is important, but it must be true sport! Football, like other disciplines, has become a big business! Do your work in such a way that the sporting character is not lost. You too should promote this “amateur” attitude, that, for one thing, will eliminate the danger of discrimination. When teams go along this road, the stadium is enriched in a human way, violence disappears, that problem we all have, making violence disappear, and we will again see families in the stands.

[In Spanish] I remember as boys going with the family to the Gasómetro Stadium. We went with the family: father, mother and children. We went home happy, especially during the season of ’46! Let’s see if any of you have the courage to score a goal like Pontoni! I greet in a special way the Argentine managers and players. Thank you for this visit, which is a great pleasure for me. I ask you to that you live your sport as a gift from God, an opportunity not only to bring your talents to fruition, but also as a responsibility. Dear players, I want especially to remind you that the way you behave, both on the field and off it, in life, is an example. Last Sunday I spoke by telephone with some young people in a group that wanted to greet me, and I spent half an hour with them. And clearly the great theme for this group was the game the next day. They named many of you, and said “I like this one for one thing, and this one for something else.” You are an example, a point of reference. The good you do makes an impression. You do good with your conduct, in your game, with your strengths. People look to you. Take the opportunity to do good. Even if you don’t realize it, you are a model, for good or ill, for so many people who look up to you. So be aware of this, and set an example of loyalty, respect and selflessness. You are also architects of understanding and social peace, which we need so much. You are role models for so many young people, and models of values embodied in life. I have confidence in all the good you can do among the young people.

Dear friends, I pray that you will be able to pursue the noble vocation of sport. I ask the Lord to bless you, and the Virgin Mary to guard you. And I ask you, please, to pray for me, that I too, in the ‘field’ in which the Lord has placed me, can play the game honestly and courageously for the good of all. Thank you!