Yes, the Pope Will Pay Football. Wearing That Giant Hat!

By: Martha | December 18th, 2006

Pope Sorry, that’s a total lie. But, really, what Vatican-related story isn’t made better by the addition of that mental image? That’s what I thought.

While His Holiness himself won’t actually be on the pitch, the Vatican is fielding a team in the Clericus Cup, “a soccer tournament among seminarians” (If you’ve never heard of such a thing, that’s understandable — it was just invented.) that will be played in Rome come February. Granted, there’s a long way between playing trainee priests and competing in Serie A, but new Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone is a massive football fan who is already entertaining fantasies about a Vatican side — in case you were wondering, they wearing yellow and white — joining the masses already beating up on Ascoli. Said Bertone, “I do not rule out that the Vatican could in the future set up a competitive football team that could play on the same level as the likes of Roma, Inter, Genoa and Sampdoria.”

Me, I love the idea — the Vatican has untold, riches, right? So the Pope could be sort of like the Abromovich of Italy, buying up superstar after superstar and beating the hell out of the top clubs (at least for a few years). It would take them a while to rise up through the ranks to Serie A, but when they get there? Look OUT! Why, in addition to the Pope’s money, they’d have God on their side, too! I sure as hell (pardon me) wouldn’t be against them.

Some Related Serie A Posts:

Category: Rumors & News, Serie A

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Sam

Archbishop Thomas Collins, straight outta Edmonton, REPRESENT!
roswitha

But will they play on Sundays?
Alex

Will they have holy water on the bench for when a player is injured?
Cham

And they could play Rangers at Ibrox, and when they cross themselves before playing -- fullfledge riot.

That'd be sweet. Habemus Papam!
Louise

They would never lose! Do you really think that all of those good Catholic Italian boys in Serie A would play to win against against priests on a club owned by the Pope? Their mothers would kill them!
Bob

It is about time Vatican City starts getting serious about the important things in life. Keep an eye on the bishop from Guinea. He has quite the right foot.