Conte and Napoli meet the Pope: ‘I am happy to highlight your success’ – Football Italia

NAPLES, ITALY – APRIL 27: Antonio Conte Napoli head coach looks on before the Serie A match between Napoli and Torino at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 27, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Antonio Conte and his squad of Napoli players had a private audience with Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday morning in the midst of their Serie A title celebrations that have been taking place over the bank holiday weekend: ‘I am happy to welcome you and highlight your success’. 

Napoli were crowned champions of Italy on Friday night. The team lifted the trophy after a 2-0 win at home against Cagliari, held a celebratory parade in Naples on Monday and were invited to meet the Pope on Tuesday. 

Conte was joined by club President Aurelio De Laurentiis, his squad of Scudetto winners and other Partenopei officials in a travelling party of around 50 people. 

They were welcomed into the Vatican by the new Pope, who congratulated them for their title success, spoke about the importance of football from a socio-economic point of view and also addressed recent rumours that he is a Roma supporter. 

What the Pope said during private audience with Napoli squad

“The press says I am a Roma supporter, but welcome,” the Pope said during his meeting with the Napoli squad, reported via La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

“Winning the league is a goal that is achieved at the end of a long journey, where the extraordinary performance of champions is what matters most, not the exploits of the past,” the Pope continued. 

“The league is won by the team, and when I say ‘team’, I mean the players, the coach, the staff and the whole club. 

“I am happy to welcome you now, to highlight your success,” the Pontiff continued. 

“I say that it is also important from a social point of view. We know how popular football is in Italy and across the world, so it seems to me that the social value of an event like this is the result of a team, in which the talents of individuals are put to the service of the collective.” 

The Pope also explained that morals within football is an important aspect, particularly when it comes to young people.  

“There is one last thing that is close to my heart. It is about the educational aspect. Unfortunately, when sport becomes a business, it risks losing the values that make it educational. 

“This requires vigilance, especially when dealing with young people. I appeal to both parents and coaches: We have to be very attentive to the moral aspect of the sporting experience at a competitive level, because it also involves the growth and development of young people.”