Juventus, Lazio teams gift jerseys to Pope Francis

Lazio president Claudio Lotito and Juventus vice-Chairman Pavel Nedved present their team's official jersey to Pope Francis at the Clementine Hall in the Vatican yesterday. Pics/AFP

Players from Italian clubs Juventus and Lazio participated in the annual Coppa Italia preparation by meeting Pope Francis. According to The Sun, the two sides, who will faces in the Copa Italia final tonight, were granted an audience with the Pope at the Vatican, who told them to be "examples of loyalty and honesty." The head of the Catholic church also stressed on, "the importance of sport in these times."

"Taking into account the attraction professional football has on people - especially young people - you have a great responsibility. You are considered 'champions' and, therefore, become figures of reference. He who, with the correct behaviour, can show all he's worth can become a true example to his fans," the Pope said.