New Pope declared a Roma fan as colleague reveals joke he made about Fiorentina

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Peter Young | Last updated May 9, 2025 11:10 AM ET

Pope Leo XIV has been declared as a supporter of Serie A side Roma by his friend and colleague Giuseppe Pagano, Prior of the Augustinian community of Santo Spirito in Florence, who revealed that the newly elected provost shared a joke about Fiorentina after the passing of Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV is a ‘big Roma fan’

Pope Leo XIV, who was declared the new head of the Catholic Church on Thursday, is understood to be a ‘big fan’ of Claudio Ranieri’s side, and a lover of sports generally.

Speaking to Italian news agency ANSA, Giuseppe Pagano, who studied and worked alongside the new Pope for multiple years, said: “He’s interested in lots of things, he has many hobbies.

“He loves driving his car, he would do it for hours. He loves sports. In football, he’s a big fan of Roma,” Pagano revealed.

He went on to explain that the new Pope even shared a joke following the death of his predecessor, claiming that the recent 1-0 win over Fiorentina was the first miracle performed after the death of the late Pope Francis.

“I heard that after the Roma-Fiorentina match. He jokingly told me: ‘Roma’s victory is Pope Francis’s first miracle after death’.”

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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