Serie A Matches Halted as Soccer-Loving Pope Francis Passes Away

Italy's Serie A postponed Monday's fixtures in honor of Pope Francis, who died at 88. A lifelong soccer fan and the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, he passed away from double pneumonia. The league will announce new dates for the matches shortly.

In a mark of respect, Italy's top-flight soccer league, Serie A, has postponed all fixtures scheduled for Monday following the death of Pope Francis. The Vatican announced his passing in a video statement, revealing the Pope had succumbed to double pneumonia at the age of 88.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, was a passionate soccer fan. His dedication to the sport was well known, prompting Serie A to take the significant step of delaying their scheduled matches.

The Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A released a statement confirming the postponement of games in both Serie A and Primavera 1. They assured fans that new dates for the rearranged fixtures would be announced soon.

(With inputs from agencies.)