All football matches in Italy have been postponed following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday morning.
The Vatican confirmed that the 88-year-old pontiff, the first-ever Latin American to hold the position, passed away earlier today.
Serie A announced that all senior men's and Under-20 top-flight fixtures scheduled for the day have been called off as a mark of respect.
The postponement affects matches across Italy's football calendar, with new dates yet to be determined.
All football matches in Italy have been postponed following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday morning
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Bells tolled across Rome as news of the Pope's death spread throughout the Catholic world.
In a statement released shortly after the Pope's death, Serie A said: "Following the passing of the Holy Father, the Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A announces that the matches scheduled for today of the Serie A Enilive and Primavera 1 Championships are postponed to a date to be determined."
The decision reflects the profound impact of the pontiff's passing on Italian society.
It remains unclear when the postponed fixtures will be rearranged.
The football authorities acted swiftly following confirmation of Pope Francis's death at 7:35am local time on Easter Monday morning.
Following the passing of His Holiness, Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A can confirm that today's league games in Serie A and Primavera 1 have been postponed. The date of the rearranged fixtures will be announced in due course.
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) April 21, 2025
The postponements affect both the top-tier Serie A competition and youth-level Primavera 1 matches.
Four Serie A fixtures were scheduled for Easter Monday before the postponement.
Torino versus Udinese was due to kick off at 11.30am BST. This would have been followed by Cagliari's fixture with Fiorentina at 2pm.
Later matches included Genoa vs Lazio at 5pm and Parma vs Juventus at 7.45pm to conclude the day's action.
Three youth matches in the Primavera 1 championship were also affected.
These included Roma U20s vs Udinese U20s at 11am.
Monza U20s vs Sassuolo U20s and Sampdoria U20s vs Torino U20s completed the youth schedule that has now been postponed.
All seven matches will be rescheduled at a later date.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced the Pope's death from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.
"At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church," he said.
The Cardinal paid tribute to the pontiff's commitment to Gospel values.
"He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised," Farrell continued.
He concluded: "With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune."
Pope Francis had been suffering from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger.
He was admitted to Gemelli hospital on February 14 for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
Pope Francis has died at the age of 88
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His 38-day stay at the hospital was the longest of his 12-year papacy.
Despite his health struggles, the pontiff made a public appearance on Easter Sunday, just one day before his death.
He blessed thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square.
The Pope also surprised the faithful with an impromptu Popemobile tour of the piazza.
His final public appearance drew wild cheers and applause from the assembled crowd.
