Serie A postpones Monday fixtures following Pope Francis’ death

All four Serie A matches scheduled for Monday have been postponed in honor of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88, the Italian football league announced in an official statement.

The affected fixtures include Udinese’s clash with Torino, Fiorentina’s away game at Cagliari, Genoa’s match against Lazio, and Juventus’ trip to Parma.

New dates for the matches will be announced in due course, though their rescheduling could create congestion in an already tight end-of-season calendar, particularly for clubs involved in the Champions League semi-finals.

Pope Francis, an avid football supporter throughout his life, died on Monday, according to the Vatican.

The Argentine-born pontiff was known for his passion for the sport and often expressed admiration for the values of teamwork and fair play.

Serie A clubs are expected to pay tribute to the late pontiff when the league resumes.