Serie A Fixtures Rescheduled Following Pope Francis' Funeral

TDT | Manama
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League responds to historic moment

Serie A has announced a reshuffling of this weekend’s fixtures following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88. The Vatican has scheduled the funeral for Saturday in St Peter's Square, prompting the Italian league to delay three of its matches by at least a day.

The decision aligns with guidance from Italy's National Olympic Committee (CONI), which urged the suspension of all sporting events during the funeral.

Inter vs Roma moved to Sunday

Among the postponed fixtures is Inter Milan’s high-stakes clash against AS Roma, originally scheduled for Saturday. Despite speculation that the league might allow Inter an early fixture for added recovery before their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona next week, the match has been rescheduled for Sunday at 15:00 local time (13:00 GMT).

Revised schedule across the league

Lazio’s fixture against Parma, which was to be played in Rome on the day of the funeral, has been pushed to Monday evening, with kick-off now set for 20:45 (18:45 GMT). Meanwhile, Como’s home game against Genoa will take place on Sunday at 12:30 (10:30 GMT).

Earlier this week, Serie A had already moved Monday’s matches to Wednesday following the Pope’s death.

A moment of national reflection

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a widely revered figure in global religious and humanitarian circles, will be laid to rest at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore following the funeral service at St Peter’s Basilica.

The Italian football federation’s swift response to the announcement underlines the significance of the occasion, as the nation collectively prepares to honour the memory of a transformative leader.